Once upon a time there was a farmer, not particularly noted for his intelligence. One day he decided to go to market. Because his one wagon had a broken axle, he took his six mules, loaded each with two heavy sacks of corn, mounted the strongest and set off. It was a warm day and the clop, clop of the animals' hoofs sent him to sleep. After a mile or two, he woke up with a start.

‘One, two, three, four, five,’ he counted. ‘Five? Where's the sixth?’ and in a panic turned about his mule and drove the animals back the way he had come, searching in all directions.

Soon he met another farmer. ‘Carlos,’ he said, ‘ I ’m so glad I have met you. Have you seen a stray mule on the road anywhere? I was taking a dozen sacks of corn to market, and while I slept one of my mules vanished, and two sacks of best corn with it.'

‘Did you say “a dozen sacks”, friend?’ asked the other. ‘Why, are there not still a dozen, two on each mule? How can you have lost a mule? Idiot! You have forgotten to count the mule you are riding!’

Carlos was still laughing about this at midday when he met some friends over a glass of wine in a village inn.

‘You'll never guess whom I met today. Luigi Martello.’

‘Old Luigi from the village of Pontecorvo? Bit of a fool, that man is, if you ask me.’

‘That's just it! I met him as I was on the way to market. He was coming away from market, with six mules laden with corn. He looked as worried as a cat who has lost her kittens. When he saw me his face lit up. Told me he'd lost a mule and two sacks of corn while he'd been dozing. Two sacks out of a dozen. Well, I counted his mules, and I counted the sacks just to make sure. There were a dozen sacks, right enough; and there were six mules. Then in a flash I realised what the fool had done. He had forgotten to count the one he was riding!’

‘Never!—What an idiot the man must be!—All that way back for nothing!’