ONE of Ronald Reagan’s favourite jokes

[Reading Comprehension]

ONE of Ronald Reagan’s favourite jokes, loved and polished like a pebble carried for luck, told of a small boy with incurable optimism. Shown a room heaped with horse dung, the child gleefully began digging. “With all this manure,” the boy beamed, “there must be a pony in here somewhere.”


Could someone please explain me what is being said in the above sentences? The above two sentences are the opening sentence of the passage.

 

[Champleon]

The passage seems to be part of a motivational speech: What at the beginning appears to be a denial
(dung/financial crisis effects) becomes a dream come true (a pony for a child /economic growth for grown-ups).

 

[Reading Comprehension]

Hi, I don't understand what you have written. Could you please explain?

 

[Tdol]

The boy is an optimist- most people would be unhappy to see a room full of dung, but the boy sees an opportunity.

 

[SoothingDave]

The passage seems to be part of a motivational speech: What at the beginning appears to be a denial
(dung/financial crisis effects) becomes a dream come true (a pony for a child /economic growth for grown-ups).

There is nothing in this joke about economics.