Keith Gunderson

Emil and the Lemmings

and Emil managed the toolshed and kept things in shape and was Swedish
and told jokes on Norwegians and the joke he always told was the one
about the lemmings being chased out of Sweden into Norway and staying
there and that's how there came to be Norwegians yak yak yak slapping his
thighs but was a good workman he never made mistakes you would
mention and when it rained a lot the grass was fast so Emil set the mower
blades low so they'd keep up with it and when it was dry he set the blades
high so the grass wouldn't burn up but once when it was dry a man from the
office came all the way down to the toolshed to accuse Emil of a mistake
sections seven eight and fourteen were burning up there'd been complaints
he'd better be careful Emil said nothing kept on working the man left but
when Hansen came in Emil said why the hell he'd tried to fix his own blades
what he thought he was doing for godssake up on seven eight and fourteen
there'd been complaints he'd better be careful Hansen knew what Emil
meant and said nothing tinkered around with a nearby something and
looked down but Hansen was one of Emil's favorites so a little bit later Emil
asked him if he'd heard the one about the lemmings.

--Keith Gunderson

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