A woman ran a thriving pet shop in the south of France that specialized in selling exotic breeds of bird. Her supplier was always keen to interest her in unusual species and over the course of several months had managed to persuade the shopkeeper to stock bitterns, storks, cranes and herons. Then one day the supplier turned up with a wooden crate and said: "Edith, I've got a lovely bird for you here: it's a little egret. Look at the plumage. You stock a few of these, and they'll fly off the shelves." "No, I don't think so," she said. "I still haven't sold those storks you brought in last month." The supplier was nothing if not persistent and two days later, he returned to the shop with the wooden crate. "Edith," he said, "have you changed your mind about the egret? Beautiful plumage." "No," said the shopkeeper. "I am not interested." Two days later the supplier was back again, carrying that same wooden crate. "Edith," he said, "this is your last chance, because if you won't take this delightful bird, I'll have to try elsewhere. And you know I don't want to do that. So come on, Edith. Won't you reconsider?" "For the last time," said Edith, suddenly bursting into song, "no, no egrets, no, we will have no egrets . . ." A man walked into a butcher's shop and bet him $50 that he couldn't reach the meat on the top shelf. "No," said the butcher, "the steaks are too high."