[No Truce With Kings]

Reminds me of a story.

A Palestinian leader woke up one morning to discover that his skin color had gone dead white from a point just above his eyebrows to the top of his head. He tried doing everything to fix the problem -- first by himself then consulting with Palestinian doctors, next leaving to Saudi Arabia and having doctors there examine him. Without result. Finally he sees Muslim, Christian, and even Christian doctors in Europe, both Americas, and India. No joy.

Finally another Palestinian leader quietly takes him aside, and recommends a Jewish doctor. Desperate, the Palestinian leader disguises himself and goes to the Jewish doctor.

No sooner does the doctor see the Palestinian leader than he starts beaming. "This is simple. I'll have you fixed up in a few minutes." The doctor departs the room, and soon returns with a quart beaker filled with a thick brown liquid. It stinks.

The Palestinian leader looks at it and sniffs suspiciously. "This smells like excrement. What is it?"

"Just drink it," says the Jewish doctor. "It will fix you. If it doesn't bomb my office, bomb my home."

The Palestinian leader thinks -- he is right, I can. So he downs the contents of the beaker -- which tastes every bit as foul as it looks. The doctor holds up a mirror. The Palestinian's head has returned to its normal color.

"That's marvelous," says the Palestinian leader.

"It was nothing," say the doctor." You were just a quart low."

[Alouette]

Good one! I heard it told about Arafat.