A factory owner’s main boiler broke down, and the entire factory came to a halt.
One after another, he called in experts and consulting firms. They examined the boiler at length, discussed it, tried to fix it—but without success. Eventually, the owner fell into despair, already anticipating bankruptcy.
At that point, a small man carrying a little bag appeared in his office and offered to repair the boiler.
The man did not inspire much confidence, but the factory owner had nothing left to lose, so he allowed him access to the boiler room. The small man took a little hammer out of his bag and began gently tapping the boiler here and there. After walking around it for about ten minutes, he returned to his bag, put the small hammer away, took out a very large hammer, approached the boiler, and struck it with full force at one precise spot.
And the boiler started working!
Astonished and relieved, the factory owner told the man to send him a bill for the work and assured him that he would pay whatever amount was requested. The next day, the bill arrived—for 10,000 pounds.
The owner was surprised, since the man had worked for only ten minutes. Still, considering that the previous specialists had charged even more, he instructed his secretary to transfer the money—but to ask the man to itemize the bill.
The detailed invoice read:
For walking around and tapping the boiler for ten minutes – 1 pound
For knowing exactly where to strike and how hard – 9,999 pounds
From a book of parables.
