Traveling to Dallas for a game, Mantle and his friends Whitey Ford and Billy
Martin, known for their wild antics, decided to take an extra day to go deer hunting.
They got some guns, piled into a car, and drove out to a ranch where Mantle had hunted before.
Mantle went up to the ranch house while the others waited in the car.
The rancher said it was okay, but asked him a favor.
"There's an old mule tied out back that is sick and bound to die.
I haven't got the heart to shoot him myself. Will you shoot him for me?"
Mantle said he would. But on his way back to the car, he hatched a mischievous
plan.
With anger in his voice, he told his friends that the rancher had refused to let them hunt, so he was going to shoot his mule. Marching around back with his astonished friends following, he took aim and shot the mule, which dropped to the ground.
He expected to turn to find Ford and Martin
staring open-mouthed at what he had done. But before he could turn he heard two more shots.
One of his friends, pleased with himself, was heard to declare, "I got two of his cows!"
The moral: Be sure your example doesn't give the wrong impression.