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Norwegian Math
A Houston construction site boss was interviewing men for a job, when along
came a Norwegian. "I'm not hiring any Norwegians, the foreman thought to
himself, so he made up a test to avoid hiring the Norwegian without getting
into an argument.
"Here's your first question," the foreman said. "Without using numbers,
represent the number 9."
"Without numbers?" The Norwegian says. "Dat is easy," and proceeds to draw
three trees.
"What's this?" the boss asks.
"'Ave you got no brain? Tree and tree and tree make nine," says the
Norwegian.
"Fair enough," says the boss. "Here is your second question. Use the same
rules, but this time the number is 99."
The Norwegian stares into space for a while, then picks up the picture that
he has just drawn and makes a smudge on each tree. "'Ere you go."
The boss scratches his head and says, "How on earth do you get that to
represent 99?"
"Each of da trees is dirty now! So it's dirty tree, and dirty tree, and
dirty tree. Dat is 99."
The boss is getting worried he's going to have to hire this Norwegian, so he
says, "All right, last question. Same rules again, but
represent the number 100."
The Norwegian stares into space some more, then he picks up the picture
again and makes a little mark at the base of each tree, and says, "Ere you
go. One hundred."
The boss looks at the attempt. "You must be nuts if you think that
represents a hundred!" The Norwegian leans forward and points to the marks
at the base of each tree, and says, "A little dog come along and crap by
each tree.
So now you got dirty tree and a turd, dirty tree and a turd, and dirty tree
and a turd, which make one hundred. So when I start?"
A Houston construction site boss was interviewing men for a job, when along
came a Norwegian. "I'm not hiring any Norwegians, the foreman thought to
himself, so he made up a test to avoid hiring the Norwegian without getting
into an argument.
"Here's your first question," the foreman said. "Without using numbers,
represent the number 9."
"Without numbers?" The Norwegian says. "Dat is easy," and proceeds to draw
three trees.
"What's this?" the boss asks.
"'Ave you got no brain? Tree and tree and tree make nine," says the
Norwegian.
"Fair enough," says the boss. "Here is your second question. Use the same
rules, but this time the number is 99."
The Norwegian stares into space for a while, then picks up the picture that
he has just drawn and makes a smudge on each tree. "'Ere you go."
The boss scratches his head and says, "How on earth do you get that to
represent 99?"
"Each of da trees is dirty now! So it's dirty tree, and dirty tree, and
dirty tree. Dat is 99."
The boss is getting worried he's going to have to hire this Norwegian, so he
says, "All right, last question. Same rules again, but
represent the number 100."
The Norwegian stares into space some more, then he picks up the picture
again and makes a little mark at the base of each tree, and says, "Ere you
go. One hundred."
The boss looks at the attempt. "You must be nuts if you think that
represents a hundred!" The Norwegian leans forward and points to the marks
at the base of each tree, and says, "A little dog come along and crap by
each tree.
So now you got dirty tree and a turd, dirty tree and a turd, and dirty tree
and a turd, which make one hundred. So when I start?"
Lisa,
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