Barney's Impossible Christmas Task

"It's just not possible," Barney said for the tenth time that day.

His office had just had its annual Christmas party, and each employee was given a 'fun' task to complete prior to Christmas. Barney's task had been to produce a photograph he had taken of eight maids a' milking by the next day. He had been running around the office, camera around his neck, since the party ended, but he hadn't had any luck. Finally, he decided to go to the break room to plan his strategy.

He was disappointed to find the office's janitorial staff gathered in the break room. He had always hated their uniforms, the black dresses with white aprons. They looked more like they should have been working in a mansion than in a corporate office. All eight of them were gathered around the table, eating cookies left over from the Christmas party and drinking tall glasses of milk. Martha, the one who had been employed there the longest, greeted him.

"Would you like to join us, Barney? We have extra cookies and milk," she told him as she wiped her milk mustache.

"I don't have time," he replied. "I have this impossible task to get done today." He nodded at her and the other seven women, went back out the door and headed to his office.

He sat at his desk for a few minutes, trying to figure out how he could find eight maids together. And even if he could, he didn't even know anyone who had a cow. He could just imagine the smirk on his co-worker Larry's face when he produced five golden rings tomorrow morning. Why hadn't he gotten something easy like that?

"It's just not possible," Barney said again, feeling defeated. He removed the camera strap from his neck, tossed the camera on his desk and grabbed his car keys. He left the office, angry that his employers had asked so much of him.