Just What You Need to Put Life into Perspective
Dennis Penberthy, an elderly Cornish farmer, received a letter from the Department for Work & Pensions. They suspected he wasn’t paying his employees the statutory minimum wage and planned to send an inspector to interview them.
On the appointed day, the inspector arrived and began his inquiry.
“Tell me about your staff,” he asked Penberthy.
“Well,” said Penberthy, “there’s the farmhand. I pay him £362 a week, and he has a free cottage.
Then there’s the housekeeper. She gets £287 a week, along with free board and lodging.
And then there’s the half-wit. He works a 16-hour day, does 90% of the work, earns about £38 a week, gets a bottle of gin every week, and occasionally sleeps with my wife.”
“That’s the one I want to talk to,” said the inspector. “The half-wit.”
“That’ll be me, then,” replied Penberthy.
On the appointed day, the inspector arrived and began his inquiry.
“Tell me about your staff,” he asked Penberthy.
“Well,” said Penberthy, “there’s the farmhand. I pay him £362 a week, and he has a free cottage.
Then there’s the housekeeper. She gets £287 a week, along with free board and lodging.
And then there’s the half-wit. He works a 16-hour day, does 90% of the work, earns about £38 a week, gets a bottle of gin every week, and occasionally sleeps with my wife.”
“That’s the one I want to talk to,” said the inspector. “The half-wit.”
“That’ll be me, then,” replied Penberthy.
