By Alan B. Combs with comments by Chris Cole and Bob Levi.

A young man applied for a job in a cordage shop and to his delight had been accepted. The store manager took it upon himself to train the new employee in the types of merchandise available. This was no small task.

First came the manila section, old classic hawsers originally from the days of tall ships and more flexible material used in horse training. Other sections of the store featured hemp, sisal and jute. There also was a section for synthetic fibers such as used for parachute cord and clothesline. It all seemed to much to take in at once, but it was a start.

The owner came by and inquired what was happening and how it was going.

The manager replied, “Pretty well. I was just showing him the ropes.”

Chris Cole remarked:

I think the manager was just feeding him a line, the knotty fellow!

And Bob Levi added:

Sounds like the new employee was getting the hang of things. It seems like the kind of job where one has to ap-ply themselves. And if one becomes over worked, I guess that they’d be fit to be tied.