A boy walking down the road noticed an old man with an unusually small head. Curious, he approached and asked, "Mister, why is your head so small?"
The old man looked at him and replied, "Son, if I weren't so old, I'd give you a beating... but since you remind me of myself at your age, I'll tell you."
The boy listened intently as the man began his story. "One day, I was fishing off the pier when I got a huge bite. 'My goodness!' I thought. 'I've caught a whale!'"
"Really?" the boy asked eagerly.
"But when I reeled it in," the man continued, "to my surprise, it was a beautiful mermaid! She looked at me, terrified, and said she'd grant me one wish if I let her go..."
"And?" the boy interjected.
"Well, after a moment's thought," the old man said, "I looked at her and asked, 'How about a little head?'"