A Foolish Man Buys Shoes
There awas once a foolish man. One day he wanted to go to the market to buy a pair of new shoes. He first measured his foot with a ruler and then took a piece of straw and marked the length of his foot on it. But he was in such a hurry to set off that he left the straw at home.
At the market, having found a shoe-stall, he felt in his pockets, only to find that the straw was not there. So he said to the shoemaker, "I've left the measurement at home, so I don't know the size. I'll have to go back for it." with these words, he hurried off.
He hurried home for the straw and then hurried back to the market again. The trip home and back took him a lot of time. By the time he reached the market, it was almost dark and the market was already over. he had gone to all this trouble for nothing and still had not managed to buy the shoes.
Then someone asked him, "Did you want to buy the shoes for yourself or for someone else?"
He answered, "For myself, of course!"
The man then asked him, "Well, but haven't you brought your feet with you?" What do you need to bring the measurement for?"