too good a joke to die in another thread:

[trof]

Get rich scheme:
Georgie was 17 and learning disabled, but a nice kid. Various shops and businesses in town had hired him for a time, but it never worked out. His family was poor, but very proud. One of the members of the town council came up with an idea to help them out.

Georgie was summoned to a town council meeting and offered the job of polishing the cannon on the courthouse lawn. The town would supply the cleaning materials and pay Georgie $20 a week. (This was a long time ago.)

Georgie polished up that old cannon until it shown. He was hard at work on it, almost every day. Kept the pigeons shooed away. Pointed the cannon out to tourists and anyone else who would listen. Told them how he was in charge of its maintenance. He was so proud.

After a year, he requested an audience with the council. At the monthly meeting he told them he was giving them two weeks notice and would be leaving his job. They were non-plussed. They'd gone to the trouble and expense to help him out and he was quitting?

"Why are you leaving us, Georgie?"
"Well sir, I 'preciate what y'all done for me, but I saved my money, and bought my own cannon, and I'm goin' into bidness for myself."