The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

BRICK STORY

A BRICKLAYER WAS DESIGNING A BUILDING AND HE DETERMINES THAT IT
WILL REQUIRE EXACTLY 1000 BRICKS TO BUILD. SO HE GOES TO THE BRICK
COMPANY AND ASKS THE SALESMAN FOR EXACTLY 1000 BRICKS. THE SALESMAN
SAYS HE DOESN'T KNOW IF HE HAS THAT MANY BRICKS AND SAYS HE'LL GO
AND CHECK. HE WENT OFF TO COUNT THEM AND COMES BACK AND SAYS, I'VE
ONLY GOT 999. THE BRICKLAYER SAYS, WELL I NEED A THOUSAND FOR THIS
BUILDING, I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. THE SALESMAN DIDN'T
WANT TO LOSE A BIG SALE SO HE SAYS, JUST A MINUTE, MAYBE I COUNTED
WRONG. LET ME TRY IT AGAIN. SO HE WENT BACK AND COUNTED THEM AGAIN
AND THIS TIME HE CAME OUT AND SAID, I DID MISCOUNT, THERE ARE EXACTLY
ONE THOUSAND HERE . THE BRICKLAYER SAYS, WELL NOW, IF YOU MISCOUNTED
ONCE HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE YOU THIS TIME? WHY DON'T YOU
GO COUNT THEM AGAIN. THE SALESMAN DID THAT AND CAME BACK AND SAID,
YOU WERE RIGHT. I DID MISCOUNT LAST TIME. THERE ARE REALLY 1001.
WELL I DON'T NEED 1001, I ONLY NEED A THOUSAND. ALRIGHT, I'LL SELL
YOU A THOUSAND THEN. SO THE BRICKLAYER BUYS HIS THOUSAND BRICKS,
LOADS THEM ON HIS TRUCK AND DRIVES OFF TO BUILD HIS BUILDING. WHEN
HE FINISHED IT, HE PUT THE LAST BRICK IN PLACE AND LOOKED DOWN AND
THERE WAS ONE MORE BRICK. SO HE CHECKED THE BUILDING TO MAKE SURE
HE HADN'T FORGOTTEN ANY AND THEN TOOK THE LAST BRICK AND THREW IT
WAY UP IN THE AIR AND WALKED AWAY.
THIS ONE IS TOLD FIRST AND THEN THE OTHER WITH ONE OR TWO IN BETWEEN
THE BRICK IS THEN FOUND IN THE DOG'S MOUTH. THAT STORY (17):

THE NEWLY WED COUPLE
A MAN AND A WOMAN HAD BEEN MARRIED FOR A WHILE, AND THEY
WERE JUST ABOUT TO THE POINT WHERE THE HONEYMOON WAS OVER. IN THE
COURSE OF THEIR MARRIAGE THE HUSBAND HAD PICKED UP ONE HABIT THAT
REALLY ANNOYED THE WIFE AND THE WIFE HAD ONE THING THAT THE HUSBAND
COULD NOT STAND. THE HUSBAND'S WAS THAT HE WOULD SMOKE THESE BIG
BLACK CIGARS AND THE WIFE'S WAS AN UGLY POODLE THAT SHE HAD MANICURED
AND CUT AND SO FORTH . ONE TIME THEY WENT ON A VACATION TOGETHER AND
SINCE IT WAS COLD OUT THEY HAD TO KEEP THE WINDOWS ROLLED UP. THE
HUSBAND WAS SMOKING AWAY AND THE WIFE SAID, IF YOU DON'T PUT OUT THAT
CIGAR I'M GOING TO TAKE IT AND THROW IT OUT THE WINDOW. THE HUSBAND
SAID, IF YOU DO THAT I'LL TAKE THAT DOG OUT OF THE BACK SEAT AND
THROW HIM OUT THE WINDOW. WELL, THEY DROVE ON IN SILENCE FOR ABOUT
30 MILES UNTIL THE WIFE COULDN'T TAKE IT ANY LONGER, AND SHE REACHED
OVER, GRABBED THE CIGAR, AND THREW IT OUT THE WINDOW. THE HUSBAND
THEN REACHED BACK AND GRABBED THE DOG OUT OF THE BACK SEAT AND THREW
IT OUT THE WINDOW. THEY DROVE ON AND COMPLETED THEIR VACATION IN
SILENCE. ABOUT TWO MONTHS LATER THEY WERE SITTING AT HOME , STILL
NOT TALKING TO EACH OTHER, WHEN THEY HEARD A SCRATCHING AT THE DOOR.
THEY WENT TO THE DOOR AND OPENED IT AND SURE ENOUGH THERE WAS THE
POODLE AND HE HAD SOMETHING IN HIS MOUTH , WHAT DO YOU THINK IT WAS?
RIGHT, IT WAS THE BRICK.

Submitter comment: THIS STORY IS USED IN CONNECTION WITH SEQUENCE NUMBER 701604-17.

Where learned: ILLINOIS ; WESTCHESTER

Date learned: 00001960S