愚人買鞋

從前有個人，想買對新鞋子。他事先在家裏量好雙腳的尺寸，把它記錄在紙上。

可是他出門的時候，卻忘記把紙條帶在身上。在鞋店裏，他找到一對稱心滿意的鞋子。當他準備試穿時，忽然想起自己把紙條留在家裏。

於是他對鞋店主人說：「我把尺寸留在家裏，現在就回去拿，很快便回來。」說罷，他立即飛奔回家拿尺寸。等回到鞋店時，鞋店已經關門，因此買不成鞋子。

第二天，他把事情告知朋友，朋友問道：「你當時為甚麼不試穿看看呢？」
那人回答說：「紙條的尺寸比較可靠嘛。」

The Measurements Are More Reliable

There was once a man who wanted to buy a new pair of shoes. Before he went to the store, he took careful measurements of his feet and noted the dimensions on a piece of paper.

But he forgot to bring his note along. At the store he found a pair of shoes he liked very much. He was about to try them on when he suddenly remembered that he had left his note at home.

"I've left my measurements at home," he told the storekeeper. "I'm now going to get them. I'll be back soon."

Immediately he hurried home to fetch the note. By the time he returned, the store was closed, so he could not buy the shoes after all.

The next day the man related the incident to a friend. The friend asked, "Why didin't you try them on to see if they fit?"

"Well," answered the man, "the measurements are more reliable!"