The Hummingbird Trap
The inventor was finally finished with his hummingbird trap. No longer would people be annoyed and frightened by the incessant fluttering and loud colors of hummingbirds. No longer would their flowers be attacked by their long, sharp beaks.
The design was simple: a hanging bowl of sugar water would attract the hummingbird, who would insert its beak into the feeding hole. Then a clamp would lock on to the beak and hold it until the bird expired.
The trouble was, the trigger mechanism was never fast enough to grab the beak. Design after design failed.
One day the inventor’s neighbor visited and saw the hummingbirds feeding and flying off unharmed. “Great idea!” said the neighbor. “A hummingbird feeder! I’ll buy a dozen, for gifts.”
Although confused, the inventor became a millionaire.