Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie once employed a man whose job, for ten years, was to attend his receptions and watch his dog, which had a penchant for urinating on the shoes of visiting dignitaries. When an "accident" occurred, this servant was required to wipe off the urine with a satin cloth.

"It was," the man once remarked with relief, "a small dog."

["Haile Selassie" means "Emissary of the Holy Trinity."]