own Crier Not Needed

ome time ago Baron Von Lodge was the head of a small country near Switzerland known as Lilliland.

Almost everyone in Lilliland had a job to do and they took great pride in their work. In order to work in Lilliland, a work permit was required, and to get a work permit, one needed to be born in Lilliland.

An elderly uncle of a Lilliland family returned to Lilliland and was in search of a job. When he went for a job interview, he had to show his identification and work permit proving that he was born in Lilliland.

The interviewer asked about his previous work experience and he replied that he had a job as a town crier in a small village in Scotland for many years. But the newspaper business quickly eliminated the need for his job as town crier.

Since Lilliland was not in need of a town crier, there wasn’t much to offer him. When Professor Hamblin, the Baron’s chief advisor, heard of this situation, he discussed it with the Baron.

“While we do not need a town crier, we might be able to use his experience and services for something else,” said the Professor. The Baron asked the tourist bureau to see if they might hire this man as a town crier to announce the events of the day, that tourists might be interested in attending, in the middle of the town square. He would be all dressed in colorful Lilliland mountain attire with leather short pants, bright socks, an attractive vest, and mountain style hat with a feather. He could announce activities that the tourists might like to see. He could also answer typical tourist questions and be helpful to everyone visiting Lilliland.

The uncle’s name was Ben and everyone in the town center looked forward to his daily announcements. He had a very charming personality and visitors even asked to have their picture taken with him.

Ben even had some mountain yodeling included with the daily announcements.

Ben had relatives in Lilliland. His job was so interesting and enjoyable that women would ask if he was married and available for luncheon dates. He was very popular and everything worked out well for a town crier who needed a job helping people who visited Lilliland.