The Sundial and the Watchmaker.
A watchmaker, fascinated by all horological apparatus, visited a sundial that had been long ago erected atop a hill near the center of the village.
“Oh sundial,” said the watchmaker, “now that we have gears and springs, my watches have made you quite obsolete.”
As if shaken from a deep trance, the sundial replied “Oh my, a visitor! What you say is quite true, watchmaker, your creations are an improvement over me in nearly every way.”
Having taken the word 'nearly' as an affront, the watchmaker guffawed and then retorted, “Why... surely in every way. You do not even function on a cloudy day!”
“That too is undeniable,” said the sundial, “but I never need another's hand wind me up, and I always know – behind whatever clouds might skirt across the fickle skies – that the sun is up there.”