The ‘tis Bottle

Book excerpt: Elmer J. Schmo is a very rich man who has everything he wants. Unfortunately, Elmer is bored. After consulting with his advisors, he decides to hold a contest. Whoever has the best idea to alleviate Elmer's boredom wins one million dollars. After placing an advertisement in the local newspaper, Elmer weeds through hundreds of letters until he sees a hastily scrawled message on a brown paper bag that asks if he has ever collected 'tis bottles. Anxious to find the owner of the message, Elmer hires the FBI and the NSA to investigate. Finally they locate the message's author Our Hero Just Plain Joe, a penniless man without a home or a family who tells them there are four 'tis bottles scattered throughout the world. After Elmer dangles a two-million-dollar prize in front of Just Plain Joe's nose, the unlikely hero embarks on a journey to find the first bottle where he soon discovers the quest may be much more difficult than he ever imagined. The 'tis Bottle is the humorous short story of a very rich man and a plain hero who come together in a daring effort to find four bottles hidden at the very top and bottom of the earth.