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ur neighborhood!” as loud as you can.” The boys were
delighted and enthusiastically shouted the phrases at the top of their lungs.
The next day, right after school, the boys reappeared, expecting more of the same. The
shoemaker met them with a smile and said, “You did such a wonderful job yesterday, I will
gladly pay 50 cents to each of you that shouts the same things that you did yesterday, and
makes up one new one.” Again, the boys complied, screaming at the top of their lungs until
they were hoarse.
The boys appeared the third day, and again the shoemaker met them with a smile.
Nevertheless, today he was apologetic. “I am sorry,” he said, “but business has been slow. You
put on a marvelous show yesterday, but all that I can afford today is a nickel.” The boys obliged
by shouting the epithets with somewhat less enthusiasm than they had the day before.
On the fourth day, the boys appeared right on schedule. Again, the shoemaker met them
apologetically. “The show that you put on yesterday was indeed worth it, but business is so
bad that I can not afford to pay you today.” At this point, so the story goes, the boys grumbled
that they had better things to do than entertain a dumb Italian, and wandered off, never to be
seen again. Why did this approach at changing the boys’ behavior work when none other had?