In the early twenties, three Jews emigrated to the United States.
As so often happened in those days, the American immigration
officials at Ellis Island simplified their complicated names on
the official records. In this case, the three were recorded as
Diamond, Gold, and Taylor. Many years later, they met and asked
how each of them had done.
Diamond: Oh, I've done very well. With my name I started a
jewelry store. Right from the start it was successful. Now there
are Diamond Jewelers all over the country.
Gold: Well, brother Diamond, I, too, have succeeded. Same idea.
Gold! So I started the Gold Ornaments Shop. The shop succeeded
wonderfully. The branches spread. Now I'm a millionaire.
Taylor: With me it wasn't so simple. My name is Taylor, so I started
a clothing store. I worked very hard, but it failed. So I started
another, but it also failed. My family, they were starving. So what
could I do but pray to God. "Oh, Lord," I said, "help me to prosper.
Lord, if you do, I'll promise to give you 50 percent of the profits."
Diamond and Gold: Well, tell us. Did it work?
Taylor: Did it work? You never heard of Lord and Taylor?!
