Dit is een verhaaltje dat ik nog in mijn (spreekwoordelijke) schuif had zitten. Het is voor een keer in het Engels. Enjoy.
The card I got was the card of the joker. And the joker is a special card. It's got no value, it’s got no suit. It really is a joke of a card. But, the joker didn't realize that. It was prancing around in card land claiming to be the highest card ever. But one night in a dark alley he met... an Ace! But the joker wasn't afraid and said: Hi Ace, I'm the joker! I'm the highest card in the deck. And the ace said: "Oh really!" The Ace took out a boxing iron and with one well-aimed slam he knocked out the joker, flying all the way to the other end of the alley. And the ace shouted: "Let it be known that the four aces rule the deck, and not some silly joker.
The joker was sad. But he was also hurt. How could this happen. He, the joker, the happiest card in the deck was beaten down. So he went to see Jack, the sheriff. And he told jack that he had been beaten down in a dark alley.
"So," Jack said, "you've been beaten down in a dark alley. Let me call my twin brother Jack and we'll look into that."
"Do you need some help?” the joker asked.
"No," the Jack replied, "Any pair can beat a High card! So where can we find this rascal?"
"Well, All I know is that he's an Ace!"
The Jack became pale. "One of the four Aces? If he's alone we can take him, but where's there's one Ace, the others are not far away, and nobody can beat the four aces!"
The joker again was sad. The strong hand of the law couldn't help him. So he went to see a King. He explained the situation and requested justice to be done. The king answered him:
"My friend, I understand your situation. And the queen and myself feel very supportive. We could ask a friendly suit to send their King and Queen so we can fight as a double pair. But even a double pair can't beat the four Aces. And also finding a third King so we are three of a Kind would help us. Our only hope would be to form the Royal Flush and smite them with all our powers. But for that we need our Ace who won't be likely to fight against his brothers. So, you see, nobody can beat the four Aces."
Once again, the joker was sad. He was strolling the deck until he found the full house Inn. It was a rough looking neighborhood. But maybe he could find some tough guys to help him fight. He went inside, to the bartender.
"I'm looking for some guys that can put up a fight"
"What do you need them for?"
"Well, some score I need to settle."
"Ok, if you go outside, in the small street, you can find some guys that can give you a hand if you need it. If you got more money to spend, you can go in the large street next to it. And of course, here in the full house I can also find you some guys if you can put the money on the table of course. But tell me, who do you want to fight?"
"The four aces."
"The four aces!?! You're crazy friend. You'll find nobody here that'll take on the four aces. Fold your cards and go home my friend."
The joker was even sadder. Nobody could help him. He was walking along the docks. Suddenly he saw four small cards sadly sitting in a corner. He went over to them and asked them why they were so sad.
"We are the four two's. We're the lowest cards in the deck. Nobody likes us."
"Oh he said. But you have values and suits. I don't even have that."
"But," the two's said. "That means you can be anything you want to be! So if you claim you're a two we could become... the poker!"
"The poker, but, that doesn't exist!"
"It will when you join us!"
And so the joker joined the two's and together they became the poker. They went back to the dark alley to find the four Aces. The Aces shivered in fear as they saw the Poker approach and ran away scared.
The joker was happy. Alone, he was nothing, but now, as part of the poker, he was the most important card of the deck. And everywhere the joker appeared, people were happy. Because maybe, just maybe, the poker would be formed once again.
