“A man overheard an aged Irishman giving some advice to a boy who was boarding a ship to seek his fortune.
“Now, Michael, me boy,” the old man said, “just remember the three bones and you’ll get along all right.”
The curiosity of the bystander prompted him to ask the Irishman what he meant by the three bones.
“Sure, now,” replied the aged son of Erin with a twinkle in his eye, “and wouldn’t it be the wishbone, the jawbone, and the backbone? It’s the wishbone that keeps you going after things. It’s the jawbone that helps you ask the questions that are necessary to finding them, and it’s the backbone that keeps you at it until you get them!” “