Chapter 1
Two Americans and a Japanese get off a tour bus and walk into a darkened
Outback pub in Australia. The Americans stroll over to the bar and order beer.
The Japanese gets a cup of tea, sits down at a table, and begins browsing in a
guidebook.
Just then a stockman walks through the front door leading a horse. "G'Day," he rasps, brushing off a cloud of dust.
The Americans and the Japanese glance up in surprise. The horse and rider are outlined in pale yellow light filtering through a dirty window.
Slapping money on the bar, the stockman says, "A coldie for me and some water for my horse."
The bartender shakes his head. "Sorry, mate. Beer’s warm. The electric went out in last night's blow. We’re using a wood stove. And the town's well has dried up."
"Bloody hell!" exclaims the sunburned rider. "Well, can you at least melt some ice so my horse can wet its whistle?”
The bartender looks even more apologetic. "All the ice melted.”
The stockman shakes his head. "I guess what they say is true then. You can lead a horse to drink but you can't make it water."
The Japanese chokes on his tea, and the Americans burst into guffaws.
"Draw two beers then," says the stockman.
The bartender passes the glasses across the bar. The rider chugs one and pours the other down the throat of the horse. The horse throws its head back and forth wildly. It shakes off layers of dust, revealing a reddish coat.
"Cricky! That's a change!" marvels the bartender.
"With all that dust I thought your horse was gray," exclaims one of the Americans.
The Japanese nods.
"No," says the stockman, "that's a color of another horse."
The Americans groan and the Japanese laughs so hard he knocks over his cup of tea. It falls to the floor and shatters. He eyes the mess in dismay. "Oh! Excuse my clumsiness! Let me help find the broken pieces so the cup can be mended."
"No worries," says the stockman. "When the barkeep mops up, he’ll have all the china in tea.”
