Jiro Akira, at age 51, was a seasoned sales manager with Supotsu
Sporting Goods; but he wanted to move up the corporate ladder
and head his own division of the company. Supotsu was creating
just such a position as it spun off its line of Extreme Sports
equipment into a new operating unit. But he also heard that the
company was looking for a person with young ideas and energy to
serve as division president, which would seem to favor his main
competition for the job 29-year-old Duane Ericksen.
Still, Jiro wanted to be president of the new position bad enough
that he agreed to appear before the company's directors and management
to plead his case along with Duane.
After arriving at the meeting, Jiro found himself sitting next
to Duane's wife Miko, who confided that she didn't want Duane
to get the job. "If he gets this job, he'll have to move
to New York, and I like it here in California," Miko said,
adding, "And I don't think Duane is ready for this job. He
doesn't have the experience or seasoning to succeed in such a
position at this time unlike you. I mean, you can't send
a boy to do a man's job."
Jiro agreed, but noted that he heard that management considered
youth a prime qualification for the job, and that once the executives
saw him in his graying hair, the job was as good as Duane's.
"Maybe I can help," Miko said, pulling a bottle and
a small package from her purse. "In my travels, I came upon
this youth elixir. It works. You wouldn't think I was really 57,
but I am. Drink it, and it will take years off your body. You
won't be at an age disadvantage with Duane during your presentations."
She added, "I've found that when you rejuvenate, your underwear
become loose. This package contains a change in underwear, so
after rejuvenating, you won't look uneasy at the podium in drooping
drawers."
Jiro took both and went to the men's room. Inside, he quickly
guzzled the potion, then stood before the mirror to watch its
effects on his body. The change was miraculous. Jiro's hair reverted
to dark black. His face slimmed and regained youthful vitality.
And his body trimmed, making his undershorts feel loose.
But the process continued. Jiro noticed his face taking on a teenaged
appearance. And he began to shrink. He was soon swimming in his
clothing, which began to drop off, beginning with his suit trousers,
followed by his undershorts. Jiro soon had to stand on tiptoes
just to continue to see himself in the mirror. As the shrinkage
stopped, Jiro shrieked. He now looked no more than a 6-year-old
boy.
His clothes having long since dropped off his body, Jiro opened
the package and found his change of underwear. It was a pair of
boy's underpants containing pictures of cartoon characters. Having
nothing else to wear that fit, Jiro slipped them on, then went
to the bathroom door to see if he could slip away from the meeting.
Nobody could see him like this, Jiro thought. As he sneaked by
the meeting room, he could hear Duane delivering his presentation
to convince management he was the right man to head the new Extreme
Sports division. Duane reminded the executives, "You can't
send a boy to do a man's job!"