The Wrong Medicine

    A farmer had a very valuable cow. He took very good care of this cow and one day when it was ill, he was very worried. He telephoned the vet.

   “What’s the problem?” the vet asked him when he arrived.

   “My cow’s very sick,” the farmer said. “I don’t know what’s the matter with her. She’s lying down and won’t stand up. She won’t eat, and she’s making a strange noise.”

    The vet looked at the cow.

   “She’s certainly sick,” she said,

   “and she needs to take some very strong medicine.”

    He took a bottle out of his case, and put two pills into his hand.

   “Give her these,” he said. “They should make her better.”

   “How should I give them to her?” the farmer asked.

    The vet gave him a long tube.

   “Put this tube in her month,” he said, “then put the pills in the tube and blow. That’ll make her swallow them.”

    The vet went away.

    The next day he came to the farm again. The farmer was sitting outside his house looking very miserable.

   “How’s your cow?” the vet asked.

   “No change,” the farmer said, “and I’m feeling very strange myself.”

   “Oh?” the vet said. “Why?”

   “I did what you said,” the farmer explained. “I put the tube in the cow’s mouth and then put two pills down it.”

   “And?” the vet asked.

   “The cow blew first,” the farmer said.