A man approached a sheep farmer and said, "If I tell you how many
sheep you have down in the valley, can I keep one?" The farmer glanced at the vast
field of sheep, eyed the stranger carefully, snickered, and then accepted the bet. The
stranger looked carefully across the rolling hills, scanning it left and right, then said,
"5,279."
"Holy Cow!" the
startled farmer exclaimed. "How did you do that?"
"Well, I'd rather not
say," answered the man. "Now can I have my sheep?"
The farmer sighed, "A
deal is a deal, I guess." The stranger picked out an animal and began to lead it
away. The farmer watched in silence for a moment, then called after the man. "Wait!
If I can guess where you are from, will you give me back my animal?"
"Fair enough,"
the man agreed with a grin. "You're from New York," guessed the farmer.
Instantly the stranger's
smile turned to a frown. "How did you know?"
Well I'd rather not
say," the farmer answered. "Now can I have my dog back?"
