THE LAWYER'S ADVICE
the man by his arm. "It will be of little use for me to tell you," answered he, "because I need a friend who can both turn and twist things around." "Why," exclaimed the lawyer, "that is my very occupation!" Whereupon he seized the man firmly by the collar and pulled him into the house. Now the sinner made a confession before him, telling him how it had all happened. Could the lawyer help him out of this difficulty? "Yes," was the answer, "and very easily, too: When you are brought into the court-room, and the questioning begins, you must answer only 'Oh, pshaw!' Whatever they say to you, you must make no other reply."
When the man was brought before the judge, and the question was put to him whether he had sold the cow, as reported, he answered: "Oh, pshaw!" The judge looked at him over his glasses, and repeated: "I ask you whether you sold your cow to these six men and received in advance ten dollars from each of them?" "Oh, pshaw!" said the man again. Now the judge became excited; however, he stepped forward and shouted into his ear: "Did you sell your cow to these six men?" The man, on his part, bent forward, yelling into the judge's ear, "Oh, psh—a—aw!" As he looked quite sincere, and no other reply could be had from him, the judge turned to the six men, saying: "There is no way in which you can be righted, my friends This man is insane, and all that we can do
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