Michael from Dublin passed the auditions and appeared on Irish television in the game show “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”.
He was doing amazingly well and towards the end of the program he had already won €500,000.
“You have done very well so far Michael”, said the show’s presenter, “but for a million Euros you have only got one life line left – phone a friend. Everything is riding on this final question. will you go for it?”
“Sure”, said Michael. “I’ll have a go!”
“Ok”, said the presenter, “Here is your final question on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”.
Which of the following birds does NOT build its own nest?:
a) Sparrow
b) Thrush
c) Magpie
d) Cuckoo
“I haven’t got a clue”, said Michael.
The presenter asked Michael if he would like to use his last life line.
“Yes sir”, said Michael, “I’ll use my last lifeline and phone my friend Paddy back home in Dublin”.
So, Michael called up his friend Paddy, and told him the circumstances and repeated the question to him.
“Fookin hell, Michael!” cried Paddy. “Dat’s simple…… It’s a cuckoo”.
“Are you sure?”, asked Michael.
“I’m fookin sure”, said Paddy.
Michael hung up the phone and told the presenter, “I’ll go wit Cuckoo as my answer”.
“Is that your final answer?” asked the presenter.
“Dat it is, Sir”
There was a long, long pause, and then the presenter screamed, “Cuckoo is the correct answer!”
“Michael, you have won One Million Euros!”
The next night, Michael invited Paddy to their local pub to buy him a drink.
“Tell me, Paddy?”, he said, “How in Heaven’s name did you know it was da Cuckoo that doesn’t build its own nest?”
“That’s simple”, replied Paddy, “because he lives in a Fookin clock!”
Image used under a Collective Commons License from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/philwolff/3156507938