The Ostrich

Moshe walks into Minky’s Restaurant in his home town of London, England, with a full-grown ostrich behind him. When the waitress asks him for his order, Moshe says, "Salt Beef and latkes plus a coke please." She then turns to the ostrich, "What's yours?"

"I'll have the same," says the ostrich.

Five minutes later the waitress returns with the order. "That will be £19.46 please," she says. Moshe reaches into his pocket and pulls out the exact change for payment.

The next day, Moshe and the ostrich return. Moshe orders, "Salt Beef and latkes plus a coke please."

The ostrich says, "I'll have the same."

Again Moshe reaches into his pocket and pays with the exact change.

This becomes routine for six consecutive days until the two enter again. "The usual?" asks the waitress.

"No, this is Thursday night, so I’ll have a sirloin steak, baked potato and a salad," says Moshe.

"Same," says the ostrich.

Soon after, the waitress brings the order and says, "That will be £26.62." Once again Moshe pulls the exact change from his pocket and puts it on the table. The waitress cannot hold back her curiosity any longer. "How do you manage to come up with the exact change in your pocket every time?" she asks.

"Well," says Moshe, "several years ago, I was cleaning out my loft and found an old lamp in the corner. When I rubbed it, a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes. My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money would always be there."

"That's brilliant," says the waitress. "Most people would ask for a million pounds or something, but you'll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!"

"That's right," says Moshe. "Whether it's a pint of milk or a Lexus, the exact money is always there."

The waitress then asks, "So what's with the ostrich, then?"

Moshe sighs, pauses and answers, "My second wish was for a tall bird with a big toches and long legs who agrees with everything I say."

- marsha1945@AUSTIN.RR.COM q.uga2008Sep21