John was a clerk in a small drugstore but he was not much
of a salesman. He could never find the item the customer
wanted. Bob, the owner, had had about enough and warned
John that the next sale he missed would be his last. Just
then a man came in coughing and he asked John for their
best cough syrup. Try as he might, John could not find
the cough syrup. Remembering Bob's warning, he sold the
man a box of Ex-Lax and told him to take it all at once.
The customer did as John said and then walked outside and
leaned against a lamp post.

Bob had seen the whole thing and came over to ask John
what had transpired. "He wanted something for his cough
but I couldn't find the cough syrup. I substituted Ex-Lax
and told him to take it all at once," John explained.
"Ex-Lax won't cure a cough!" Bob shouted angrily.

"Sure it will," John said, pointing at the man leaning
on the lamppost.

"Look at him. He's afraid to cough."