(sent via email by my beloved blond)
An old prospector shuffled into town leading an old tired mule.

The old man headed straight for the only saloon to clear his parched
throat.

He walked up and tied his old mule to the hitch rail.  As he stood
there, brushing some of the dust from his face and clothes, a young
gunslinger stepped out of the saloon with a gun in one hand and a bottle
of whiskey in the other.

The young gunslinger looked at the old man and laughed, saying, “Hey old
man, have you ever danced?”
The old man looked up at the gunslinger and said, “No, I never did
dance… never really wanted to.”
A crowd had gathered as the gunslinger grinned and said,  “Well, you old
fool, you’re gonna dance now,” and started shooting at the old man’s
feet.

The old prospector –not wanting to get a toe blown off– started
hopping around like a flea on a hot skillet.  Everybody was laughing,
fit to be tied.

When his last bullet had been fired, the young gunslinger, still
laughing, holstered his gun and turned around to go back into the
saloon.

The old man turned to his pack mule, pulled out a double-barreled
shotgun, and cocked both hammers.

The loud clicks carried clearly through the desert air.
The crowd stopped laughing immediately.

The young gunslinger heard the sounds too, and he turned around very
slowly.  The silence was almost deafening.

The crowd watched as the young gunman stared at the old timer and the
large gaping holes of those twin barrels.

The barrels of the shotgun never wavered in the old man’s hands, as he
quietly said, “Son, have you ever licked a mule’s ass?”
The gunslinger swallowed hard and said, “No sir….. but… I’ve always
wanted to.”

There are a few lessons for us all here:

Never be arrogant.
Don’t waste ammunition.
Whiskey makes you think you’re smarter than you are.
Always, always make sure you know who has the power.
Don’t mess with old men, they didn’t get old by being stupid.