An English anthropologist was doing
research in an isolated African village and the tribal chief asked if he would like to
attend a trial his people were conducting that afternoon.
"You'll be surprised," said the
chief, "at how well we've copied your country's legal procedures. You see, we have
read accounts of many English trials in your newspapers, and incorporated them into our
judicial system."
When the Brit arrived at the wooden
constructed courthouse, he was truly amazed to see how closely the African court officials
resembled those of England. The counsels were suitably attired in long black robes and the
traditional white powdered wigs worn by all British jurists. Each argued his case with
eloquence and in proper judicial language. But he couldn't help being puzzled by the
occasional appearance of a bare-breasted native girl running through the crowd waving her
arms frantically.
After the trial, the anthropologist
congratulated his host on what he had seen and then asked, "What was the purpose of
having a semi nude woman run through the courtroom during the trial?"
"I really don't know," confessed
the Chief, "but in all the accounts we read in your papers about British trials,
there was invariably mentioned something about 'an excited titter' running through the
gallery."
