“Well,” continued Jack, pointing to the opposite side of the street, “that is one side of the street, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” said Mickey.
“And this side is the other side, isn’t it? And you are on the other side. And I’ll take your dollar, please.”
Mickey passed out the dollar, but scratched his head. He resolved to win that dollar back, and later in the day waylaid a man with, “I say—I bet you a dollar I can prove to you that you are on the other side of the street.” “Done,” said the man. “I’d as soon make a dollar easy as not.”
“Well,” said Mickey, “this is one side of the street, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that can’t be disputed.”
“And over there is the other side, isn’t it?”
“Yes—but I ain’t on that side—and I’ll take your dollar, please.”
And Mickey walked home scratching his head and wondering how it came that “the dang thing didn’t work?”