Post by David on Jul 27, 2007 9:26:24 GMT -5
A Beale Parody
You go to a popular florist in town and order a dozen roses to be delivered to your home for a table center piece.
As you explain to the florist they are for a formal black tie affair and 4th of July Dinner you are giving and you wish for the flowers to be full, fresh and equally divided between the colors red, white and blue.(blue roses are rare)
Upon delivery to your home, you open the box they came in to place them in a vase. To your suprise, you discover the florist has sent 13 roses instead of twelve, 5 of one color and 4 each of the other two colors you requested.
Your first thought is the florist made a counting mistake of 1, sending you an extra rose.
You had mentioned to the florist they were for a formal 4th of July dinner at your home, so maybe as a friendly gesture, he sent you the extra rose to help you in a subtle way, sybolize the meaning of the 4th of July with thirteen roses instead of the requested 12.
Or is it possible the florist has hired help who do sloppy work and through in attention to detail sent the extra rose by mistake.
Was it a mistake or was it deliberate act to help symbolize the dinner theme? Either way you have rationalized it, and are now satisfied it has no further meaning and they do meet your expectations for the colors and flower quality. You place the 13 flowers in the vase as a center piece and go about your business setting the table with your best silver and china and other tableware in preparation for the coming event.
That evening you comment to an early guest about receiving the extra flower and the reason why it may have been recieved.
The quest says...Wait....there may be a third alternative other than a mistake or to symbolize the 4th of July.
He explains...some fashionable florist will, when you order a dozen flowers automatically give you 13 instead of a dozen, especially roses.
The extra flower is, as a prelude to giving the dozen, for the recipient to hold, smell or wear when the dozen is distined for a vase or is for you to wear on your lapel on the occasion.
From the information given above can you extrapolate what the color of the extra flower is. Why did you choose that color?