JUNE 3, 2015

Trouble in a small kingdom

It was a tiny Himalayan kingdom, ruled by the Shan. Centuries of peace and good fortune had blessed the tiny land, but the latest Shan, the ruler, was afflicted by a malady that caused fits of anger, disorientation and violence. Fortunately, the Shan was being treated by a physician who noticed that there had not been any fits of anger or disorientation for over twenty years; therefore, he decided to sneak out of the kingdom for a week, to enjoy a long-delayed vacation.

Upon his return, he arrived at a kingdom ravaged by arson, looting, disease and general lawlessness. He looked at where the Shan's castle had been, and saw a smoldering ruin. The doctor stopped a passing constable and asked, "What happened?"

The constable, racing to depart the kingdom, asked in return, "Where were you when the fit hit the Shan?"