A little girl answered the knock on the door of the farmhouse. The caller, a rather troubled-looking, middle-aged man, asked to see her father.
“If you have come about the bull,” she said, “he is fifty dollars. We have the papers and everything and he is guaranteed.”
“Young lady,” the man said, “I want to see your father.”
“If that is too much,” the little girl replied, “we got another bull for twenty-five dollars, and he is guaranteed too, but he does not have any papers.”
“Young lady,” the man repeated, “I want to see your father!”
“If that is too much,” said the little girl, “we got another bull for only ten dollars, but he is not guaranteed.”
“I am not here for the bull,” said the man angrily. “I want to talk about your brother, Elmer. He has gotten my daughter in trouble!”
“Ah, I am sorry,” said the little girl. “You will have to see Pa about that, because I don’t know what he charges for Elmer.”