The Ransom of Red Chief...

[kentuck]

The Republicans in this debt limit debate are like the old coots that kidnap the little red-headed boy to hold for ransom. In the end, they want to give him back, for nothing.

Also, reminds me of the old story from the mountains of two old mountaineers out hunting. One of them starts chasing a bobcat and runs him into a hollow log. He gets down on his knees and sticks his arm back into the log as far as he could reach trying to reach that bobcat. He was finally able to get a hold of him.

His partner heard the awfulest screeching and yelling he had ever heard so he ran to see what was going on? He could see his partner was in quite a mess.

"You want me to help you hold him?", he asked?

"No! I want you to help me turn him loose!"

[Scuba]

1. O'Hara. Outstanding story from my childhood. n/t

[csziggy]

2. The O. Henry story is a classic! (SPOILER)

If anyone had not read it go directly here - http://www.literaturecollection.com/a/o_henry/3/ It is well worth your time!

For those who have read it, here is the ending:

<SNIP>
We took him home that night. We got him to go by telling him that his father had bought a silver-mounted rifle and a pair of moccasins for him, and we were going to hunt bears the next day.

It was just twelve o'clock when we knocked at Ebenezer's front door. Just at the moment when I should have been abstracting the fifteen hundred dollars from the box under the tree, according to the original proposition, Bill was counting out two hundred and fifty dollars into Dorset's hand.

When the kid found out we were going to leave him at home he started up a howl like a calliope and fastened himself as tight as a leech to Bill's leg. His father peeled him away gradually, like a porous plaster.

"How long can you hold him?" asks Bill.

"I'm not as strong as I used to be," says old Dorset, "but I think I can promise you ten minutes."

"Enough," says Bill. "In ten minutes I shall cross the Central, Southern and Middle Western States, and be legging it trippingly for the Canadian border."

And, as dark as it was, and as fat as Bill was, and as good a runner as I am, he was a good mile and a half out of Summit before I could catch up with him.

http://www.literaturecollection.com/a/o_henry/3/

The 1998 movie version is very good and nearly as enjoyable as the story, by the way.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117439/

[crazylikafox]

3. Love love love that analogy

Maybe Keith can start reading from The Ransom of Red Chief instead of Thurber!

[Faygo Kid]

4. +1