The determination of Bigot to get his students to think outside the box knew no bounds. In his view to become an expert bridge player, one required an ability to see what others all too often fail to see. So yet again he tried to illustrate this concept by posing a simple problem to his class.
" Consider this question..... there are 3 young women sitting on a park bench eating ice cream. One is licking her cone. Another is biting it. And the third is sucking it. How can you tell which one of them is married ? "
Derek, who was sitting on the back row, thought hard and long about this unusual question. He felt uncomfortable about it, wishing he knew more about the trademark gestures and body language of married women. Eventually he stood up and spoke up : " Well , I guess it is the one sucking the cone . "
Bigot shook his head in disbelief : " You sir, have a filthy mind, and I certainly don't like the way you think. The answer of course is the one with the wedding ring on her finger ! "
" Oh......"
" And yes....the question I posed had in fact nothing to do with the way the ice creams were being eaten. You wrongly presumed that it did. You failed to see the more obvious way of telling which one was married. If this erroneous thinking of yours was applied to bridge, and which opponent say is holding the missing queen of trumps......tell me what would be your answer ? "
" Well...er...it is either with the opponent who is known to have length in that suit......or it is with the opponent who has, on the bidding, most of the outstanding high card points. "
Bigot looked at Derek with utter contempt.
" You've done it yet again.....you've opted to guess, rather than use your bloody eyes........because the queen of course will always be with the opponent, who has inadvertantly allowed you to see his hand ! "
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