Profit Without Honor

Walt Kelly liked Chinese Food…so last Sunday evening, his daughter Carolyn and I went to celebrate what would have been his 100th birthday at our favorite Chinese restaurant. At one point, I was tempted to say, "We have met the enemy and he is the Shrimp Chow Fun."

No, actually, the food was pretty good. Then we got down to the most important part of any Chinese dinner: The fortune cookies. Carolyn opened hers and it said…

fortune01

That's an actual scan and in case you can't read it, it says — and I quote: "The best profit of future is the past" with no period at the end. She looked at it oddly then figured out that there was a spelling error; that they meant "prophet" instead of "profit." The message could still benefit from the word "the" before "future" but at least it makes some sense.

Then I had Carolyn open my cookie for me. I give you my word, this is also an actual scan…

fortune02

Apparently, sometime between when her cookie was made and mine was made, the baker hired a proofreader.