The Half-Priced Lassi

In Calcutta I went to a restaurant and asked for a lassi. On the bill the waiter gave me, it said "5 Rs."

So I went to the owner and said, "Five rupees for one glass?"

The owner said "Who has given you this?"

I pointed to the waiter. The man said, "Oh, he cannot have been mistaken. He has been working here for 50 years."

In Bengali the words for 50 and 15 are very different, so definitely the man said 50 years.

Then I looked at the waiter and said, "Tell me how old you are."

The waiter said, "I am 21."

I said, "You are 21, but you have been working here for 50 years! You deserve five rupees."

As I was coming out of the restaurant, the owner called me and said, "Since I was mistaken, you have to give me only half the price." Then he gave me three rupees back.

-1 March 1986