The king called on the royal weather forecaster and inquired as
to the weather forecast for the next few hours. The royal
weatherman assured him that there was no chance of rain for
at least 4 days.

So the king went fishing with his wife, the queen. On the way
he met a farmer on his donkey. Upon seeing the king the farmer
said, "Your Majesty, you should return to the palace! In just a
short time I expect a huge amount of rain to fall in this area."

The king was polite and considerate, he replied: "Thanks for your
concern, but don't worry. It's not going to rain today. I hold the
palace meteorologist in high regard. He is an extensively educated
and experienced professional. And besides, I pay him very high
wages. He gave me a very different forecast. I trust him."

So the king continued on his way. However, a short time later a
torrential rain fell from the sky. The King and Queen were totally
soaked and their entourage chuckled upon seeing them in such
a shameful condition.

Furious, the king returned to the palace and gave the order to
fire the professional. Then he summoned the farmer and offered
him the prestigious and high paying role of royal forecaster.

The farmer said, "Your Majesty, I do not know anything about
forecasting. I obtained the information about rain today from
my donkey. If I see my donkey's ears drooping, it means with
certainty that it will rain very soon." So the king hired the donkey
instead.

And thus began the practice of hiring dumb asses to work in the
government and occupy its highest and most influential positions.

The practice is unbroken to this day...