On success

In the early 19th century, in a small town in Germany, the mayor died in a freak accident involving a horse, an umbrella and a carrot. That is a story for some other time, though, and we should stick to the topic of success for now. The townfolks decided to choose another mayor, but this time on the basis of who could deliver the most goods for the general upkeep of the town. Different candidates promised different things, but the two biggest contenders were the two richest people in town -- Otto and Jurgen. Otto promised to build a new town hall, while Jurgen gave his word to improve the quality of roads. True to their words, Otto got the construction of the new town hall started while Jurgen hired employees for putting new cobblestones on all roads. One day before the election, Otto invited everyone for an opera in the town hall which was followed by a horsecart ride in the town square, generously sponsored by Jurgen. The opera was astounding and the rides were great fun till Heike, the promising teenage rider, decided to impress onlookers by riding fast. She did very well till she reached the corner of Church street, where the workers had missed a patch of road, the cart overturned and there was much commotion. Needless to say, Otto quashed Jurgen in the ensuing election.

Moral of the story -- if you want to succeed, you can't leave any turn unstoned.