This is from an old story, back in the ’30s, in the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less. A 10 year old
boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
“How much is an ice cream sundae?” the little boy asked.
“Fifty cents,” replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins he had. “Well, how much is a plain dish
of ice cream?” he then asked.
By now, more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing very impatient. “Thirty-five
cents,” she snapped.
The little boy again counted his coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished
the ice cream, paid the cashier, and left the coffee shop.
When the waitress came back, she began to cry. As she wiped down the table, there placed
neatly beside the empty dish were two nickels and five pennies. The boy couldn’t have the
sundae because he had to have enough money to leave her a tip.