DEAR ABBY: This is in reference to the item in your column that if the three wise men had been three wise women, they would have asked directions and arrived on time.
In the interest of historical accuracy, it should be pointed out that the three wise men DID ask directions -- from King Herod. It's possible that a great number of babies might have been spared if they hadn't. -- WILLIAM ROBINSON, SOLON MILLS, ILL.
DEAR WILLIAM: You are not the only person to point out that the feminist joke I printed was historically inaccurate. Read on:
DEAR ABBY: We had to write in response to the letter from the Burleson, Texas, reader. You need to study your Bible (Matthew, Chapter 2). The problem with the joke is that the three wise men DID ask for directions. As a result, Herod was tipped off to the birth of the Messiah, necessitating the flight of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus to Egypt. It also caused the deaths of thousands of innocent children.
Little wonder that men have been afraid to ask for directions ever since. -- LLOYD AND KATHY RAPPLEYE, MESA, ARIZ.