To lighten whatever load …

A rabbi who loved his food had always been curious about the tight restrictions of the Jewish diet, but had never violated the kosher laws.

But this day he was in a strange village; it was lunchtime and he was starving. He went into a restaurant and was surveying the menu when his curiosity got the better of him.

He ordered roast pork with all the trimmings.

He felt safe, as he knew no-one, and his anticipation grew. Especially with the delicious, exotic smells emanating from the kitchen…

And then the waiter came to his table with a huge tray, which was hiding beneath a massive silver meal-cover. With a bow and a flourish, he set the tray in front of the rabbi and lifted the cover.

There in front of him, surrounded by vegetables and apple sauce, was a complete suckling piglet, glistening with crackle and with an enormous apple jammed in its jaws.

The rabbi gasped. Firstly at his meal, and secondly because the biggest gossip from his own village had just walked in the door and she was heading straight for his table!

As she got closer, he looked up and said to her “How is it possible to get things so wrong? I order the baked apple and this is how they serve it to me????”