The neighborhood boys loved offering Johnny a nickel or a dime. Every time, he picked the nickel, and they laughed at his supposedly foolish choice. Finally, a concerned neighbor pulled him aside and explained that the smaller dime was worth more. Johnny smiled: “If I took the dime, they’d stop doing it. So far, I’ve made $20!” While the others enjoyed their little joke, Johnny had quietly turned their teasing into a steady source of pocket money.
In another Little Johnny joke, a teacher asked students to name their father’s occupation, spell it, and suggest something he could give the class. Marcy spelled “banker” and offered everyone a penny. Jeff stumbled over “accountant,” so the teacher gave him time to think. Johnny jumped in: “My father is a bookie. B-O-O-K-I-E. If he were here, he’d give us all 20:1 odds Jeff will never be able to spell ‘accountant.’”