To the beat of the drum, the slaves rowed the boat across the ocean, and the strain of every stroke showed on their faces. When the first mate appeared on deck, the drum was silent and the oars stilled.
“Men,” he announced, “I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is you can stop rowing for today. We’ve reached an island.”
The slaves dropped their oars with a sigh of relief.
“We’ll kill a few boars, drink rum and have a feast,” he continued.
The slaves whispered among themselves in anticipation of the big event. Except one, who asked, “What’s the bad news?”
“Well,” replied the first mate, “tomorrow the captain wants to go waterskiing.”