Said With Fingers

Naveen was a newcomer to the world of commerce. One day, he traveled from village to village, purchasing a substantial quantity of potatoes from local farmers. After loading them into his cart, he headed to the market, having spent two hundred and fifty rupees for the potatoes. He planned to sell them for three hundred rupees.

Finding a merchant willing to buy all those potatoes proved challenging. At last, a man from the town approached Naveen and raised three fingers in front of him. Confused, Naveen asked, “You mean you are ready to pay three hundred rupees?” The man raised his fingers again. Trusting the gesture, Naveen transferred the potatoes from his cart to the buyer’s. However, the man only paid him two hundred and fifty rupees!

Feeling cheated, Naveen took the man to the judge. The buyer explained, “It is true I showed three fingers, but one of my fingers is half the normal size. Therefore, I meant two hundred and fifty rupees!”

The judge pondered this for a moment and replied, “That may be true, but you showed your fingers twice. Hence, you must pay five hundred rupees.”