Norwegian Fire Fighters
One dark night outside a small town in Minnesota, a fire
started inside the local chemical plant, and in a blink
of an eye it exploded into massive flames.
The alarm went out to all the fire departments for miles
around.
When the volunteer fire fighters appeared on the scene,
the chemical company president rushed to the fire chief
and said, "All of our secret formulas are in the vault
in the center of the plant. They must be saved. I will give
$50, 000 to the fire department that brings them out intact."
But the roaring flames held the firefighters off.
Soon more fire departments had to be called in as the situation
became desperate. As more firemen arrived, the president
shouted out that the offer was now $100, 000 to the fire
department who could bring out the company's secret
files. Still no takers.
From the distance, a lone siren was heard as another fire
truck came into sight. It was the nearby rural township
volunteer fire company composed mainly of Norwegians
over the age of 65. They had fled Europe after WW2, and established
their own town.
To everyone's amazement, the little run-down fire
engine, operated by these old Norwegians, passed all the
newer sleek engines parked outside the plant .... and drove
straight into the middle of the inferno!
Outside, the other firemen watched as the Norwegian old-timers
jumped off and began to fight the fire with a performance
and effort never seen before. Within a short time, the Norsemen
had extinguished the fire and saved the secret formulas.
The grateful chemical company president joyfully announced
that for such a superhuman feat he was upping the reward
to $200, 000, and walked over to personally thank each
of the brave, though elderly, Norse firefighters.
The local TV news reporters rushed in after capturing the
event on film and asked, "What are you going to do with
all that money?"
"Vell, " said Olee Larsen, the 70-year-old
fire chief, "Da furst ting vee doo is fix da brakes
on dat foocking truck!"
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