Mar 15, 09 04:22 pm — A Norwegian fella wants a job, but the foreman won't hire him
until he passes a little math test.

Here is your first question, the foreman said. 'Without using
numbers, represent the number 9.'

'Without numbers?' The Norwegian says, 'Dat's easy.' and
proceeds to draw three trees.


'What's this?' the boss asks.

'Vot! you got no brain? Tree and tree and tree make nine,' says
the Norwegian.

'Fair enough,' says the boss. 'Here's 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. 'Dar ya
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 that he's going to actually have to
hire this Norwegian, so he says, 'All right, l ast question.
Same rules again, but represent the number 100.'

The Norwegian fella 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, 'Dar ya go. Von 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 pooped by each tree.
So now you got dirty tree and a turd, dirty tree and a turd, and dirty
tree and a turd, vich makes von hundred." 'So, ven do I start?