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Back in France in the late 1700s, three men were to be executed by the guillotine: a priest, a lawyer and an engineer.

First the priest was led to the device. His neck was laid on the cradle at the bottom of the guillotine. The blade was hoisted to the top of the device, paused, and then released. Just a few inches before the blade struck his neck, it suddenly stopped! The watching crowd gasped!

The executioner, thunderstruck by the fact that his device had failed to finish its job, said to the priest, “The penalty was ordered by the court, the procedure was carried out, but the device failed to complete its job. You are hereby free to go. Never show your face in this town again.”

The priest, thanking his good fortune, hurried away from the execution area, never to be seen again.

The lawyer was next. He was led up, hands shackled, and his head was laid on the cradle at the bottom of the device. The blade was raised, sprung free at the top of the track, and sped down the rails to the counselor’s neck. Suddenly, he, too, was spared, as the blade stopped just inches from his neck.

The executioner, again faced by the fact that his device had failed to finish its job, said to the lawyer, “The penalty was ordered by the court, the procedure was carried out, but the device failed to complete its job. You are hereby free to go. Never show your face in this town again.”

The lawyer, thanking his good fortune, hurried away, determined to start a new career in a new town.

Lastly, the engineer was led up the steps to the guillotine. As he was led to the place where he would lay his neck, he looked up at the guillotine, and said, “Oh, I see what the problem is!”