Here's your first question," the foreman said. "Without using numbers,
represent the number 9."
"Without numbers?" The Rastaman says. "Oh, dat dere is easy," and
proceeds to draw three trees.
"What's this?" the boss asks.
"You no see it, mon? Tree and tree and tree make nine, nuh?" says the
Rasta.
"Fair enough," says the boss. "Here is your second question. Use the
same rules, but this time the number is 99."
The Rasta stares into space for a while, then picks up the picture that
he has just drawn and makes a smudge on each tree.
"'Ere you go"
The boss scratches his head and says, "How on earth do you get that to
represent 99?"
"Each of da trees him dirty now! So it's dirty tree, and dirty tree, and
dirty tree. Dat is 99. 'You tink I no got brain?"
The boss is getting angry as is worried he's going to have to hire this
Rasta, so he says, "All right, last question. Same rules again,
but represent the number 100."
The Rasta stares into space some more, then he picks up the picture
again and makes a little mark at the base of each tree,
and says, "Ere you go, mon. One hundred."
The boss looks at the attempt. "You must be nuts if you think that
represents a hundred!"
The Rasta leans forward and points to the marks at the base of each
tree and says, "A little dog come along, seen, and crap by each tree. So
now
you got dirty tree and a turd, dirty tree and a turd, and dirty tree and
a turd, which make one hundred... So when I start, boss?"
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