Italian passes math test for tree company work

An Italian man wants a job in tree care, but the foreman won't hire him until he passes a math test. "Here's your first question," the foreman said. "Without using numbers, represent the number 9."

"Without numbers?" the Italian says, "Data easy." And he draws three trees.

"What's this?" the boss asked.

"Ave you got no brain? Tree and tree and tree maka nine," says the Italian.

"Fair enough," says the boss. "Here's your second question. Use the same rules, but this time the number is 99."

The Italian stares into space for a while, picks up the same picture that he drew, and makes a smudge on each tree. "Ere you go."

The boss scratches his head and says, "How on earth does that represent 99?"

"Each of da trees isa dirty now," responds the Italian. "So, it's dirty tree, and dirty tree, and dirty tree. Dat is 99."

The boss is concerned about hiring this man, so he says, "All right, last question. Same rules again, but represent the number 100."

The Italian stares into space some more, then picks up the picture and adds a little mark at the base of each tree and says, "Ere you go. One hundred."

The boss looks at the attempt. "You must be nuts if you think that represents one hundred!"

The Italian leans forward and points to the marks at the base of each tree and says, "A little doga came along and crapa by eacha tree. So now you gota dirty tree and a turd, and dirty tree and a turd, and dirty tree and a turd. Data one hundred! So, when I start work?

I THINK I MIGHT ADD THIS TO THE FAVORITE QUOTES SECTION ON MY SITE'S LINKS PAGE. I RATHER ENJOY THIS ONE, WHICH WAS POSTED ON AN ARBORIST FORUM.

This message was edited Sep 1, 2006 10:50 PM