There once was a man who lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs. In fact, he sold very good hot dogs.
He put up highway signs telling people how good his hot dogs tasted. He stood by the side of the road and called out, “Buy a hot dog, mister?”
And people bought his hot dogs. They bought so many hot dogs, the man increased his meat and bun orders. He bought a bigger stove so he could meet his customers’ demands. He opened up more hot dog stands to cope with the demand. Business was very good. And finally, he brought his son home from college to help out in the family business.
But something happened.
His son said, “Father, do you not watch television, or read the newspapers? Do you not know we are heading for recession? The situation is unstable, and the domestic economy is getting worse.”
And the father thought, “My son is a smart boy. He has been to college. He ought to know what he is talking about.”
So the man cut down his meat and bun orders, took down his highway signs, and no longer stood by the side of the road to sell his hot dogs. He sacked the staff at his other hot dog stands and closed them down.
His sales fell fast overnight. “You’re right son,” said the father, “We certainly are in a serious recession.”
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