q: How much did he pay for the table? a: $26.50 q: Was the carpenter angry about that? a: No q: Was it less than he billed? a: Yes q: By how much? a: $10.00 q: Was there an addition error? a: Yes q: What did the carpenter mistakenly add to the priuce? a: Too many man hours q: What day of the month was it? a: The 10th q: What did the man joke would be different at the end of the month? a: $20 more expensive q: On which date? a: on November 30th q: If that were true, how much more would a table be on the 20th? a: $10.00 q: Does the carpenter have green eyes? a: No q: What color? a: blue q: What's the carpenter's name? a: John Hill q: Who was the table for? a: The wife q: Why couldn't they just buy any table from a store? a: They wanted it just the right size to fill the space between the two windows. q: Did the husband come home in the afternoon? a: No q: How many beverages did the worker partake in that day? c: Our village carpenter , John Hill, came one day and made a dining table for my wife. He made it just the right size to fill the space between the two windows. When I got home that evening, John was drinking a cup of tea and writing out his bill for the job. 

My wife said to me quietly, "It's his ninth cup of tea today." But she said in a loud voice, "It is a beautiful table, dear, isn't it?" 

"I will decide about that when I see the bill, " I read: 

One dining table, 10 November, 1989. 

Cost of wood: $17.00 

Paint: $1.50 

Work: 8 hours ($1 an hour) $8.00 

Total: $36.50 

When I was looking at the bill, John said, "It's been a fine day, hasn't it? Quite sunny." "Yes," I said, "I'm glad it is only the 10thof November." 

"Me, too," said John. "You wait. It'll be a lot colder by the end of the month." 

"Yes, colder.... And more expensive! Dining tables will be $20 more expensive on November 30th, won't they, John?" John looked hard at me for half a minute. Was there a little smile in his two blue eyes? I gave his bill back to him. 

"If it isn't too much trouble, John," I said, "Please add it up again and you can forget the date." 

I paid him $26.50and he was happy to get it.
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