[Gillett, David]

My two favourite anecdotes on this subject demonstrate the difference
between renewable and non-renewable resources. First the non-renewable:

The congregation of a small stone church (in England?) decided that
the stone which formed the step up to the front door had become two
worn by its years of use, and would have to be replaced. Unfortunately,
there were hardly any funds available for the replacement. Then
someone came up with the bright idea that the replacement could be
postponed for many years by simply turning the block of stone over.

They discovered that their great-grandparents had beaten them to it.

------------------------------------------------


Now the renewable:

An entomologist at New College, Oxford ("New" because its only a few
centuries old), discovered beetles infesting the oak beams supporting
the roof of the Great Hall. It was fairly urgent that these be
replaced before the roof collapsed -- but anyone who has looked at the
price of oak lately can tell you that this was not something the
college budget was prepared for.

Since oak from a commercial supplier was out of the question, someone
suggested that the college Forester be sent for. His job was to
administer the various scattered tracts of land that had been deeded to
the college when it was founded. The trustees hoped he might know of
suitable trees on college land.

It turned out that there was indeed a suitable stand of mighty oaks.
They had been planted when the college was founded, and down the
centuries each Forester had told his successor: "You don't cut those
oaks; those are for when the beetles get into the beams in the Main
Hall."

--
From the RHF archives as selected by Brad Templeton, Maddi Hausmann and
Jim Griffith. This newsgroup posts former jokes from the newsgroup
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