[stepurhan]

Not the three pieces of string and an orange version (I had a book with it in but I can't find it) but I think this is a variant of the joke Trumgottist was asking about.

A man, let's call him Trevor, is driving through rural Wales, to visit family. As he's driving along, a silly moose walks right out in front of him. In a state of panic, he swerves and crashes into a ditch.

"Oh no!" cries Trevor. "What on earth am I going to do?"

Poor Trevor tries to clear his head, when there's a tap on the window. Trevor jumps, and turns to face a friendly looking monk smiling at him.

"Hello, my friend!" says the welsh monk. "I can see you're in a spot of bother."

"I most certainly am!" replied Trevor. "I don't know the first thing about fixing cars."

The welsh monk beamed at him. "Lucky I'm here then! Come back to the monastery and we'll get you fixed up."

The monk took Trevor and his car to the monastery, where he was given a hearty supper and a comfortable bed for the night.

As the monk showed Trevor his room, Trevor noticed a wooden box in the corner, with a lock on it.

"What's in that box?" said Trevor to the monk.

"Sorry boyo, but you have to be a monk to know what's in the box. Goodnight!"

Trevor didn't sleep that night. his curiosity overwhelmed him; he wanted to know what was in the box!

In the morning, the monks had his car fixed, gave him a full breakfast and saw him on his way.

He couldn't stop thinking about the box, and before long, being a man of insatiable curiosity, Trevor returned to the monastery. He marched up to the head monk and announced;

"I want to become a monk! I must know what's in the box!"

The chief monk replied; "Alright, but first you must complete three years of monk training."

"I'll do it," Trevor said.

"Very well," said the monk. "The first year is a year of silence."

And Trevor spent a year in silence, which became very frustrating when the monk said "Now who wants an ice-cream? Say yes if you do!" But Trevor fought it out. After his year of silence, he approached the head monk.

"My year of silence is finished," he said.

"Well done, boyo," said the head monk. "Now you must endure a year of pain."

And poor Trevor spent a whole year walking on hot coals for 8 hours a day. Sometimes he felt like giving up, but the thought of the box kept him going.
When he had finished his year of pain, he again approached the head monk.
"You're doing well! Only one more year left. A year of torture."

And for a whole year, Trevor had to tolerate the monks saying the word "poo" in his ear , repeatedly, which drove him to the edge of his sanity. But every time he felt it was too much, he thought to himself; "I've come too far now. Soon I will know. Soon."

At the end of his year of torture, Trevor approached the head monk.
"I have completed my year of torture," he said.

"You have done well, my friend. Your training is complete. You are now a monk."

Trevor asked, "Can I see what's inside the box now?"

The head monk beamed.

"Yes, boyo."

The monks gathered in the small room. Candles were lit for atmosphere. The head monk presented Trevor with a key.

The monks crowded round as Trevor slid the key into the lock, and turned it
until it clicked open. He removed the lock and lifted the lid of the box.

Do you want to know what's in the box?







Do you really want to know?








Well, I'm sorry, but...













You have to be a monk to find out!