One night a hat maker was working in his shop when Venus glided down from its orbit and knocked on his door. When the surprised hat maker opened the door, Venus said, "I would like you to make me a black top hat. I will pay you with objects from my divine face."

At first the hat maker was in awe, contemplating all the possibilities of working on such a project, but then he became frightened of all the risks involved, including wasting tons of material on mistakes and failing to make a grand hat. "I'm sorry. My schedule is full for the next couple of months," he said.

So Venus thanked the hat maker for his time and floated away.

Months later, after his encounter with Venus was forgotten, the hat maker heard an excited rap at his shop door. When he answered the door, he saw the happy face of his neighbor. "What is it?" the hat maker asked.

"Haven't you heard?" the neighbor said. "A hat maker three villages away made Venus a glorious top hat, and now he is taking thousands of orders from around the world."

With that, the hat maker walked out into the bright night, and as he watched a smiling Venus showing off its new hat, he reflected on his lost opportunity.

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