Bagpipes

[Ray(T)]

Sorry if this offends but I couldn't resist!

A bagpiper was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery somewhere in the Highlands.

As he was not familiar with the area, he got lost and, being a typical man, didn't stop to ask for directions. He finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral director had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the grave diggers left and they were eating lunch. He felt badly, apologized to the men for being late and went to the side of the grave, looked down and the vault lid was already in place.

He didn't know what else to do, so he started to play. The workers put down their lunches and began to gather round. He played out his heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. He played like he'd never played before and, as he played 'Amazing Grace,' the workers began to weep. They wept, he wept, they all wept together. When he finished he packed up his bagpipes and headed to his car.

As he opened the door to his car, he heard one of the workers say, "I've never seen anything like that before, and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years."

[John Kelly]

Now that is a new one to me. Made me laugh and it's a piper rather than a banjo player providing the humour for once!