In a curious little nook of the world, where the sunbeams danced and the shadows played, a question flitted through the air like a butterfly: “Is that a paper plane? Is that a pencil? Is it an eraser, perhaps?” But lo! A voice rang out, clear and bright, “Nay, my friends. That’s Elementary Man!”
The Yacht’s Deck
On a grand luxury cruise shining, old and rich folks gathered. They wore hats with feathers and sipped tea from golden cups. Elementary Man sat among them. He had helped them previously and was now considered a good friend. Captain Goldsworth, a tall man with a mustache, announced, “Welcome! Today, we embark on a treasure hunt! Each treasure is more dear than the last!”
“Dear me!” cried Lady Lavish, her pearls sparkling. “But why are the treasures so dear?”
“Ah, my dear,” said Sir Spendalot, “it’s the tariffs! They make everything dearer!”
Teacup Time
The first clue was hidden in a giant cake. “Find the cake!” shouted Captain Goldsworth. Everyone rushed.
In the corner, a man named Wacky Donny swung around a plastic golden hammer. “I’ll use this and make everything alright!” he shouted, spinning on one leg wildly. Instead of cake, he knocked over a tower of teacups!
“Oh dear!” gasped Lady Lavish. “That’s not how you find our dear treasure!”
The Golden Spoon
Finally, they found the cake. Inside, there was a plastic spoon that was gold colored! “A treasure!” cheered Elementary Man. “But now we can afford only a gold colored plastic spoon instead of a golden spoon!”
They all looked at each other sadly. But Wacky Donny was thrilled beyond measure. “We made them pay. We made us pay” he shouted incoherently.
Pool on cue
Captain Goldsworth announced the next clue. “I am so well read I might be pink”
Everyone discussed what the words meant.
“I guess it’s something to read. Perhaps a pink book or a pink newspaper or a pink notepad.”
“So why are we waiting. Let’s dive in!” Sir Spendalot encouraged everyone.
Wacky Willy misunderstood what Sir Spendalot said and ran to the swimming pool and did a cannonball dive. He smashed the golden hammer around and picked a rubber duck from the pool.
“Not quite what we wanted!” laughed Lady Lavish, her laughter echoing.
The Final Clue
The group found a pink paper note hidden among a bunch of napkins at a table. It was about a treasure chest.
“It is here!” said Lady Lavish finding it behind a large sofa. “But it’s locked!”
Wacky Donny swung the golden hammer at the chest, but it bounced back and hit him on the head!
“Ouch!” he yelped.
Elementary Man stepped forward. “Let’s think! We need a different approach!”
The Grand Reveal
They turned the chest upside down and found there was a small opening there. They looked within. It seemed they were all luxurious goods like diamond rings and golden watches! Lady Lavish put her hand into the opening and took the items out one by one. “But these are all plastic copies !” cried Sir Spendalot.
Elementary Man sighed. “Tariffs have make everything expensive. It’s like relying on a golden hammer to get work done regardless of the task!”
“That was insightful, man!” everyone said
“Nay, my friends. That’s Elementary Man!” he replied with a grin.
Moral: Relying on a single solution, like tariffs, can lead to problems. The Golden Hammer Fallacy teaches us that not every problem can be solved with the same tool or solution. Tariffs may seem like a quick fix, but they can make things more expensive and complicated. It’s important to think creatively and consider different solutions.
If you enjoyed this post, then you might like a short story from our collection!
