Tied

“Come on, Hank,” said Joe. “Let me have that old broken down tractor of yours.”

“Uh Joe,” said Hank. “You know that tractor’s been in the family for years. I really don’t want to part with it.”

“Hank,” said Joe. “I will give you fifty dollars for it.”

“Fifty dollars!” exclaimed Hank. “That’s not enough for this beautiful piece of machinery.”

“Look Hank,” said Joe. “This tractor may seem beautiful to you, but it’s nothing but an old scrap heap.”

“Well,” said Hank. “If it’s an old scrap heap, then what do you want it for.”

“I want to fix it up,” said Joe. “There’s a tractor show at the fair this year and I want to fix it up and enter it.”

“Well,” said Hank. “If that’s all you want it for, then why don’t you use the old tractor that’s out in your field.”

“What old tractor?” asked Joe.

“There’s an old tractor, way out near the back of your barn,” said Hank.

“There is!” exclaimed Joe. “I’ve never seen it.”

“Well then,” said Hank. “You should go and hunt it up and don’t come around here bothering me anymore. I have plans myself for this old beauty.”

Joe went home and sure enough behind the barn, was an old beat up tractor. It was in worse shape than the one that Hank had. However, with a little bit of work, it could be up and running in no time at all.

Meanwhile, Hank went out to fix his old tractor up. He had decided that he was going to enter it in the fair this year.

“Why, it will be a lot of fun,” said Hank to himself.

September came around and the two farmers had their old tractors looking like brand new. Both Hank and Joe had spent weeks shining up the once rusted metal.

The day of the fair came along. Hank and Joe both arrived early, driving their shiny tractors, into the fairgrounds.

“Wow!” exclaimed Joe when he saw Hank’s tractor. “Is that the same tractor that was sitting out in your field?”

“Sure is!” said Hank, smiling. “Beauty isn’t it. By the way, you’ve done a nice job on your tractor, too.”

“Thanks,” said Joe. “And good luck.”

“Good luck to you too,” said Hank.

There were no two tractors at the fair that day that matched Hank and Joe’s. The judges had a very hard time deciding who the winner would be.

“I know,” said Bob, who was a judge. “Why don’t we have two winners this year?”

“Well,” thought Pete, another judge. “We just may have to do that.”

There was a knock at the door. It was Joe.

“Joe,” said Bob. “How are you?”

“Oh just fine Bob,” replied Joe. “And you.”

“Fine,” said Bob. “What can I do for you today?”

“Well,” said Joe. “Quite frankly, I would like to scratch my name from the tractor show today. I’d like you to give the trophy to Hank this year. He’s done a lot of work fixing up that old tractor of his and he really deserves to win that trophy.”

“Well,” said Bob. “I’ll certainly take what you have said into consideration. That was a really decent thing that you have just done. We will be announcing the winner of the tractor show soon.”

“Thanks Bob,” said Joe.

When Joe left, another knock came to the door. This time it was Hank.

“Hank,” said Bob. “How are you?”

“Oh just fine Bob,” replied Hank. “Look, the reason that I’m here is that I’d like you to take my name off the tractor show this year. That Joe, he has done a real fine job fixing up that old tractor. He deserves to win the trophy this year.”

“Well,” said Bob. “I’ll certainly take what you have said into consideration. Thanks Hank. That was a really decent thing that you have just done. We’ll be announcing the winner soon.”

“Thanks Bob,” said Hank as he left.

“Well,” said Bob as he turned to talk to Pete. “I think we have just found our winners for this year’s tractor show.”

“Yes,” said Pete. “Let’s go and announce their names.”