The village blacksmith finally found an apprentice willing to work hard at low pay for long hours. The blacksmith immediately began his instructions to the lad, “When I take the horseshoe out of the fire, I’ll lay it on the anvil; and when I nod my head, you hit it with this hammer. “
The apprentice did just as he was told. Now he’s the village blacksmith.
This joke is included in the Black Book of Jokes. You can order it from here.