A farmer stopped by the local mechanic’s shop to have his truck fixed. They couldn’t do it while he waited, so he said he didn’t live far and would just walk home.
On the way home, he stopped at the hardware store and bought a bucket and a gallon of paint. Then he stopped by the feed store and picked up a couple of chickens and a goose. However, as he struggled outside the store, he realized he had a problem – how to carry all his purchases home.
While he was scratching his head, a little old lady approached him and said she was lost. She asked, “Can you tell me how to get to 1603 Mockingbird Lane?”
The farmer replied, “Well, as a matter of fact, my farm is very close to that house. I’d walk you there, but I can’t carry all this.”
The old lady suggested, “Why don’t you put the can of paint in the bucket, carry the bucket in one hand, put a chicken under each arm, and carry the goose in your other hand?”
“Why, thank you very much,” he said and proceeded to walk the old lady home.
On the way, he said, “Let’s take my shortcut and go down this alley. We’ll be there in no time.”
The little old lady looked him over cautiously and said, “I am a lonely widow without a husband to defend me. How do I know that when we get in the alley, you won’t hold me up against the wall and have your way with me?”
The farmer, startled, replied, “Holy smokes, lady! I’m carrying a bucket, a gallon of paint, two chickens, and a goose. How in the world could I possibly hold you up against the wall and do that?”
The old lady calmly replied, “Set the goose down, cover it with the bucket, put the paint on top of the bucket, and I’ll hold the chickens.”