makeup Humour ...

[Ed Jabbour]

A frontiersman in early America, becoming disillusioned with the solitary 
life, decided to get himself a wife from an Indian tribe with which he had 
become rather friendly.  He approached the chief and asked what the bride  
price of a young,  winsome and hard-working woman might be.   The chief 
called for three women and had them sit on different hides.  The first was 
seated on a deer hide and described as indeed young, winsome and hard 
working - "Ten gold pieces," said the chief.  The second was seated on a 
bear hide and described as young, winsome and hard-working - "Ten gold 
pieces," said the chief.  The last was seated on a hippopotamus hide (which 
was highly treasured because singularly rare in early America.) She was 
obviously young and winsome and was hailed as hard-working - "20 gold 
pieces," said the chief.  The frontiersman, taken aback at such a high 
price, asked the chief what set the third woman so apart.  "After all," he 
said, "each of them is young, winsome and hard-working."  "Well," said the 
chief, " it's just always been that way.  The Great Spirit created the world 
in such a way that the squaw of the hippopotamus is equal to the sum of the 
squaws of the other two hides."