Farmer Mark decided his injuries from his recent accident were serious enough to take the trucking company responsible for the accident to court. In court, the trucking company's fancy lawyer was questioning farmer Mark.
“Didn't you say, at the scene of the accident, that you were fine?”
“Well, I'll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule Bessie into the...”
“I didn't ask for any details,” the lawyer interrupted. “Just answer the question. Did you say, at the scene of the accident, that you were fine?”
“Well, I had just got Bessie into the trailer...”
“Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Highway Patrolman that he was just fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question.”
Judge asked Farmer Mark to tell what happened.
“Well,” said the farmer, “As I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into the trailer when this huge semi-truck and trailer ran the red and smacked my truck right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. I was hurting real bad and didn't want to move. However, I could hear Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans. Shortly after the accident a Highway Patrolman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes. Then the patrolman came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me. He said, ‘Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot her. How are you feeling?’”
農(nóng)夫馬克覺得他在最近這次事故中受的傷足以將負有責(zé)任的卡車公司告上法庭。在法庭上,卡車公司的昂貴的律師在盤問農(nóng)夫馬克:“你是不是在事故現(xiàn)場說你沒事?”
農(nóng)夫馬克說:“讓我來告訴你事情的經(jīng)過。我剛把我心愛的騾子貝西裝上……”
律師打斷他說:“我沒有問你細節(jié)。你只要回答問題,你是不是在事故現(xiàn)場說你沒事?”
“嗯,我剛把我心愛的騾子貝西裝上拖車……”
“法官,我是想建立這樣的事實,這個男人在事故現(xiàn)場對高速公路巡警說他沒事??墒沁^了好幾個星期以后他來告我的委托人。我認為這是欺詐。請你讓他回答我的問題?!?
法官讓農(nóng)夫馬克說說事情的經(jīng)過。農(nóng)夫說:“嗯,就像我剛才說的,我剛把我心愛的騾子貝西裝上拖車,這輛巨大的載重車闖紅燈,撞在我的一側(cè)。我被撞進一條溝,貝西被撞進另一條溝。我被撞得很厲害,不想動。但是我能聽見貝西在呻吟。一聽聲音我就知道她的情況很嚴重。事故發(fā)生以后不久,一個高速公路巡警來到現(xiàn)場。他聽見貝西的呻吟,就過去看她。他看了她以后就拔出手槍對著她兩眼之間開了一槍。然后這個巡警從路那邊走過來,手里拿著槍,看著我說:‘你的騾子情況那么糟,我只好把她打死了。你覺得怎么樣?’”