Given the title (on the subject of buckets..) and its quick
simple
message, this story is a good partner analogy to the rocks in a
bucket time management story.
The story illustrates lateral thinking, narrow-mindedness, the
risks of making assumptions, and judging people and
situations:
A party of suppliers was being given a tour of a mental
hospital.
One of the visitors had made some very insulting remarks about the
patients.
After the tour the visitors were introduced to various members of
staff in the canteen.
The rude visitor chatted to one of the security staff, Bill, a
kindly and wise ex-policeman.
"Are they all raving loonies in here then?" said the rude
man.
"Only the ones who fail the test," said Bill.
"What's the test?" said the man.
"Well, we show them a bath full of water, a bucket, a jug and
an
egg-cup, and we ask them what's the quickest way to empty the
bath," said Bill.
"Oh I see, simple - the normal ones know it's the bucket,
right?"
"No actually," said Bill, "The normal ones say pull out the plug.
Should I check when there's a bed free for you?"