the royal weatherman

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Once upon a time, there was a king who wanted to go fishing. He called the royal weather forecasterPerson who predicts weather conditions and asked about the weather forecast for the next few hours. The weatherman assured him, "There is no chance of rain in the coming days." So, the king went fishing with his wife, the queen.

On the way, he met a farmer riding his donkeyLONG-EARED, STUBBORN BEAST OF BURDEN. When the farmer saw the king, he said, "Your Majesty, you should return to the palace at once. In just a short time, I expect a huge amount of rain to fall in this area."

The king, polite and considerate, replied, "I hold the palace meteorologistWeather expert with scientific training in high regard. He is extensively educated and experienced, and I pay him very well. His forecast was completely different. I trust him, and we will continue." So they did.

However, a short while later, a torrentialHeavy and sudden (of rain) rain poured down. The king and queen were drenchedCompletely wet, and their entourage chuckled at their bedraggledWet and messy in appearance state.

Furious, the king returned to the palace and firedDismissed from employment the weatherman on the spot. Then, he summoned the farmer and offered him the prestigious, high-paying role of royal forecaster. The farmer said, "Your Majesty, I know nothing about forecasting. I get my information from my donkeyLONG-EARED, STUBBORN BEAST OF BURDEN. If its ears droop, it will certainly rain."

So, the king hired the donkeyLONG-EARED, STUBBORN BEAST OF BURDEN instead. And thus began the ancient practice of hiring assesAN ASS IS A DONKEY ↔ ALSO AN 'IDIOT' to work in government and occupy its highest, most influential positions.

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🔍 Vocabulary

In this joke, let's look at weather forecaster, torrential, and bedraggled.
Weather forecaster: A person who predicts weather conditions.
Torrential: Describes very heavy, sudden rain.
Bedraggled: Soaked and dishevelled, often from being wet.

• The weather forecaster predicted sunshine, but it rained.
• The torrential storm flooded the roads.
• After the downpour, their clothes were bedraggled.

📘 Grammar

This joke uses the past simple tense (e.g., "called," "assured," "went"). It also includes direct speech for dialogue and conditional logic ("If its ears droop..."). Note the South African spelling conventions (e.g., "meteorologist" is standard, but phrasing is locally naturalised).

• The king asked about the weather.
• "You should return," said the farmer.
• The donkeyLONG-EARED, STUBBORN BEAST OF BURDEN's ears were a reliable sign.

🔄 Synonyms & Alternatives

Weather forecaster: meteorologist, weatherman
Torrential: pouring, relentless
Bedraggled: soaked, sodden Donkey: ass, burro

💬 Mini Dialogue

King: (to farmer) How did you know it would rain?
Farmer: My donkeyLONG-EARED, STUBBORN BEAST OF BURDEN's ears droop before rain, Your Majesty.
King: (to advisor) Fire the weatherman. Hire the donkeyLONG-EARED, STUBBORN BEAST OF BURDEN.
Advisor: But sire—
King: At least the donkeyLONG-EARED, STUBBORN BEAST OF BURDEN's honest!

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