Harry is an eighteen-year-old high school student. His parents dote on him and hope he will become successful someday. To ensure he focuses solely on his studies, they handle everything for him: waking him up at six, driving him to school, and having dinner ready when he returns. Naturally, Harry never does any chores or goes shopping.
One day, Harry's father was sent to London on a six-month business trip. Before leaving, he asked his wife to take good care of their son. She took over all her husband's duties, but after two months, exhaustion led her to fall ill. Harry was suddenly in trouble. He couldn't manage any housework and had to rely on his mother's instructions for everything—he didn't even know where to catch the bus.
Yesterday, Harry's mother noticed his shoes were worn out and told him to buy a new pair. Unsure how to choose, he was given a shoe pattern (an outline of his foot) as a guide. Today, being Saturday, Harry set out. With help from a policeman, he found a shoe store. The friendly shopkeeper brought out several pairs for him to try. Just as Harry was trying on a pair, he suddenly remembered something and took them off.
The surprised shopkeeper asked, "What's the matter, young man?"
"I'm sorry," Harry replied, "I've left the shoe pattern at home!"