The Ride

A monastery was perched high up on a cliff and the only access to reach it was by way of riding in a basket which several monks hauled up to the top.

Obviously the ride over the rocky jagged terrain was steep, and in a wicker basket, terrifying to all but the naively fearless.

One visitor, however, got exceedingly nervous. Roughly halfway up he saw that the rope by which he was being hauled was rather frayed and splitting. Shaking in his boots but unable to move, he frantically asked the monk who was seated next to him how often they changed the rope.

Thinking for a moment, the monk answered, "Whenever it breaks."