The Citizen and the Snakes

A public-spirited citizen, who had suffered a significant setback in his attempts to secure a national political convention for his city, found himself engulfed in dejection. In this melancholic state, he leaned thoughtlessly against a druggist's show window, which displayed an assortment of one hundred and fifty different kinds of snakes.

Suddenly, the glass shattered, and the reptiles made their escape into the street. Observing the chaos he had unwittingly caused, the public-spirited citizen remarked, "When you can't do what you wish, it is worthwhile to do what you can."

With this newfound perspective, he resolved to take action in any way he could, even if it was unexpected and unconventional.