So a man went into a pet shop and told the owner that he wants to buy a pet that can do everything, in essence The Perfect Pet.
The pet shop owner thinks for a few moments, and suggests a faithful dog, that ought to make a great companion for the man.
The man replies, “Come on, a dog?”
The pet shop owner, a bit taken back by the response, says, “Well, how about a cat?”
The man replies, “No way! A cat certainly can’t do everything. I want a pet that can do everything!”
The pet shop owner thinks for a minute, then says, “I’ve got it! A centipede!”
The man says, “A centipede? I can’t imagine a centipede doing everything, but okay… I’ll try a centipede.”
So, the man gets the centipede home and says to the centipede, “Centipede, go clean the kitchen.”
Thirty minutes later, he walks into the kitchen and… it’s immaculate! All the dishes and silverware have been washed, dried, and put away, the counter-tops have been cleaned, and the appliances are sparkling. Not only that, but the floor has been waxed as well. The man is absolutely amazed.
He says to the centipede, “Centipede, now go clean the living room.”
Twenty minutes later, he walks into the living room. The carpet has been vacuumed, the furniture has been cleaned and dusted, the pillows on the sofa have been plumped up, the plants have all been watered. The man thinks to himself, “This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. This really is a pet that can do absolutelyeverything!”
Next he says to the centipede, “Centipede, run down to the corner shop and get me a newspaper.”
The centipede walks out the door.
Ten minutes later, there is no sign of the centipede.
Twenty minutes later, still no sign of the centipede. The man is wondering what is going on.
After thirty 30 minutes and still no sign of the centipede, the man is beginning to get a bit concerned.
So, he goes to the front door, opens it, and there is the centipede sitting right outside the door.
The man says to the centipede, “Hey!! I sent you down to the corner shop forty-five minutes ago to get me a newspaper. What’s the matter?!”
The centipede says, “I’m going! I’m going! I’m just putting on my shoes!”
Image used under a Collective Commons License from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Centipede_1.jpg