A rich farmer's son, who had been educated at the university, always came home at Christmas to visit his parents.
One evening, the three of them were at supper. When two fowls were served, the son declared that, using logic and arithmetic, he could prove those two chickens to be three.
"Well," said his father, "you ought to show us how that can be done."
"Why!" cried the scholar. "This is one, and that," he continued, "is two. One and two, you know, make three."
"Very clever indeed, and very funny," replied the father. "But you should also tell us how we are to divide these two fowls among the three of us. Perhaps you cannot manage that so easily, so I will assist you: your mother shall have the first fowl, I will have the second, and the third, you may keep for yourself, as a reward for your great learning."