"Two Nickels and Five Pennies"
When an ice cream sundae cost much less, a boy entered a coffee shop
and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
How much is an ice cream sundae? Fifty cents, replied the waitress. The
little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of
coins in it. How much is a dish of plain ice cream? he inquired. Some
people were now waiting for a table, and the waitress was impatient.
Thirty-five cents, she said angrily. The little boy again counted the
coins. I'll have the plain ice cream. The waitress brought the ice cream
and walked away. The boy finished, paid the cashier, and
departed. When the waitress came back, she swallowed hard at what she
saw. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and
five pennies -- her tip.
- unknown -