A duke was hunting in the forest with his men at arms and servants when he came across a tree which had archery targets painted on it, and smack in the middle of each target was an arrow.
“Who can this incredibly fine archer be?” cried the duke. “I must find him!”
After continuing through the forest for a few miles, he came across a small boy who was carrying a bow and arrow.
Eventually the boy admitted that it was he who shot the arrows plumb in the center of all the targets.
“You didn’t just walk up to the targets and hammer the arrows into the middle, did you?” asked the duke worriedly.
“No my lord. I shot them from a hundred paces. I swear it by all that I hold holy.”
“That is truly astonishing,” said the duke. “I hereby admit you into my service.”
The boy thanked him profusely.
“But I must ask one favor in return,” the duke continued. “You must tell me how you came to be such an outstanding shot.”
“Well,” said the boy, “first I fire the arrow at the tree, and then I paint the target around it.”
Image used under a Collective Commons License from: https://pixabay.com/vectors/target-arrow-shooting-dart-3823872/