A professor sits next to a farmer on a train. Quickly becoming bored, the professor decides to suggest a game to pass the time.
"I have a little game for you," said the professor. "I'll ask you a question. If you don't know the answer, you give me €5. Then you ask me another question. If I don't know the answer, I'll give you €500. What do you think?"
The farmer, intrigued, nods and agrees.
The professor begins: "What is the exact distance between the Earth and the Moon?"
Without saying a word, the farmer takes €5 out of his pocket and hands it to the professor.
Now it's the farmer's turn. He thinks for a moment, then asks: "What animal climbs a mountain with three legs and comes back down with four legs?"
The professor was taken aback. He racked his brains, reviewed everything he knew, consulted his notes, and tried to find a logical explanation. But nothing worked. Finally, he gave up, took €500 out of his wallet, and gave it to the farmer.
The farmer takes the money with a satisfied smile and settles down comfortably for a nap.
But the professor, curious and unable to leave the question unanswered, wakes him up and insists: "So, what is this animal?"
Without saying a word, the farmer takes €5 out of his pocket, gives it to the professor, then goes back to sleep peacefully.
Moral of the story: Sometimes, practical intelligence is worth far more than theoretical knowledge.