A priest, a minister and a rabbi were camping together in the middle of the woods when they began discussing their powers of persuasion. they made a friendly wager as to see who could go out and be the first to convert a bear.

When they met in the evening, the priest said, "I found a bear, doused him in holy water, and read my catechism to him, and he became gentle as a lamb. So moved was he that the bishop is coming up tomorrow to give him Holy Communion and Confirmation."

The minister then said, "I too found a bear along the river. I preached a stirring sermon about the fires of hell, eternal damnation and the joys of heaven. So moved was the bear that I took him into the river and baptized him there."

The rabbi, who was heavily bandaged and limping, said, "I found a bear and in retrospect, perhaps I shouldn't have started with the circumcision."