Day Labor

The following joke is based on a German-language version posted at Gegenstimme. Many thanks to JLH for translating it:

An old Arab living in Detroit has a vegetable garden that he would like to dig over, so he can plant potatoes. He is too old to face the task, and his only son lives in Paris. With sadness, he writes his son an e-mail.

Dear Ahmed,

I am very sad. I would like to dig over my garden so I can plant potatoes, but I am too old now. I am sure that if you were here, you could do it for me.

Your Father

He receives an e-mail in reply:

Dear Father,

Please, on no account touch the garden. It is where I buried “the object”.

Ahmed

The following morning, the old Arab’s house is surrounded by units of the US Army, the FBI and Homeland Security, who take possession of his back yard and dig up every millimeter of the garden, but find nothing. That night, the old man receives another e-mail:

Dear Father,

I assume that by now your garden is completely dug over and you can plant potatoes. It was the best I could do.

Ahmed