"I wouldn't want this musty old dump if you gave it to me," snapped Ida Gamble.
"Look," replied Sam Sham, "Clem may have been a whacked-out hermit, but I have a feeling he hid a fortune on this property. This house has been boarded up for 7 years. All you need to do is pay the back taxes and my modest fee, and this little gem is all yours!"
"I'm outta here!" exclaimed Ida.
"Wait, just let me show you the secret staircase I found."
Sam pulled back the oakpress paper paneling to reveal a hidden staircase.
"Look, that step is loose, and there's something shiny behind it!" Sam pulled back the loose step to discover a small collection of shiny sterling silver cutlery.
"I knew it!" cried Sam, "This house contains a fortune! I think I'll buy it myself."
"Not so fast," replied Ida. "You offered me the house and I just bought it."
Why should Ida have stopped and thought again before buying this home?
After seven years untouched and exposed to the air, the sterling silver should have been seriously tarnished, so Sam clearly planted it there himself.
ReplyDeleteYes, the spoons would have been tarnished after seven years. Also, since Sam had already found the staircase, it's rather odd that he hadn't noticed the treasure before - he doesn't seem to have any trouble this time.
ReplyDeletethe spoons would have been tarnished, I got silver spoons and they were tarnished within a month, they wouldn't be shiny after seven years. And besides it is never good to make rash decisions.
ReplyDeleteBecause in this market, Ida could get a much better house at a fraction of the cost... Oh, and silver would be tarnished after 7 years. Plus, she's dealing with a man whose last name is "Sham". If that doesn't give her reason to pause, I think she ought to take it and enjoy her new silverware at dinner each night.
ReplyDeleteI agreed wuth Edward Carney..
ReplyDeletehere's a very old one:
Which came fiorst, the cicken or the egg?
**chicken
ReplyDeleteThis reeks of a set up. How did he just "find" the staircase like that? He probably already searched thru the house himself for this treasure. Besides with the way the market is these days finding silver wouldn't get you peanuts. I also agree with the tarnish thing. And with name like Sham, need I say more??
ReplyDeleteYou guys are right. Try to answer mine
ReplyDeletehttp://unscrambletheletters.blogspot.com/
I don't think it's just that the utensils would have been tarnished, but also he claims that the house has been boarded up for 7 years and then negates himself by telling her he had found a secret staircase, so clearly he had been in the house and even if there were fortune, he would have taken it all already because he had searched the house.
ReplyDeleteThoughts?