An old farmer had a beautiful pond behind his house. He’d turned the whole area into his own little backyard paradise, complete with picnic tables, a barbecue grill, horseshoe pits, and fruit trees loaded with apples and peaches.
The pond was clean, peaceful, and perfect for cooling off on a hot day.
One evening, the farmer realized he hadn’t checked on the place in quite a while.
So he grabbed a large empty bucket and headed down to the pond, planning to pick some fruit while he was there.
As he got closer, he heard laughter, splashing, and excited voices.
When he reached the pond, he stopped in his tracks.
A group of young women were swimming and enjoying themselves.
The moment they spotted the old farmer, they all scrambled toward the deepest part of the pond.
One of them shouted,
“We’re not coming out until you leave!”
The farmer shook his head.
“Don’t worry. I’m not here to watch you swim or bother anyone.”
The women stayed exactly where they were.
The farmer calmly held up his empty bucket and smiled.
“I’m just here to feed the alligator.”
Suddenly, the pond became very quiet.
And somehow, everyone discovered they were perfectly comfortable getting out of the water.