Why is a fire engine red?

Some of you may have heard this story before, but here goes...

Have you ever noticed how somebody will be part of a conversation and suddenly they'll say something like, "This reminds me of ..." and then they start telling you a story which seems to have no relevance to the current topic of conversation whatsoever?

Well, my wife and I have this thing where we will look at eachother and just say: "Don't worry. It's because a Fire Engine is Red."

If that doesn't make sense, here's where the whole "Why a Fire Engine is Red" story comes from...and by the time you've finished reading the story you'll probably also look at other people and be able to say: "It's because a Fire Engine is Red!"

The whole idea is based on a combination of association and deduction...and it works like this.

- There are generally 6 people "manning" a Fire Engine.
- 6 is also expressed as half a dozen.
- The word "Dozen" is associated with eggs.
- Eggs are associated with chickens.
- "Chicken" is the collective word used for hens and cockerells.
- Images of Cockerells are traditionally used for wind vanes.
- Wind vanes are almost always found on church steeples.
- Church steeples are tall and high structures, just like the masts of some ships.
- Ships, in turn, are found on large bodies of water.
- When you say large bodies of water, you think of the seas and oceans.
- In the oceans, you find many living organisms, the most common of which is, of course, fish.
- Fish use fins to propell themselves through the water.
- The word "fins", sounds very much like the Nation of people living in Finnland, or otherwise known as Finns.
- Hundreds of years ago the Finns and the Russians were involved in a war.
- And finally...The Russians are also refered to as "Reds"...And that, Folks, is why a Fire Engine is Red.

See? It's not that difficult to get from one topic to another, which may seem totally unrelated, in a couple of easy steps.

As a matter of fact...I can guarantee you that, if you were honest with yourself, you have already thought of a whole lot of additional topics which this story reminded you of.

And all because ........ a Fire Engine is Red!