George* had a new neighbour and they became quite chummy, sharing the odd meal together and helping each other out from time to time. It’s fair to say that George considered his neighbour a friend.

Answering a ring on his doorbell one morning George was initially pleased to see his neighbour, who was holding a bucket. Imagine George’s surprise when the contents of the bucket – cold and dirty water containing who-knows-what – were thrown over him.

The neighbour retreated leaving George shocked, wet and upset. George withdrew, dried and changed himself, and puzzled over what had happened. Always a tolerant type, he reflected that the neighbour must me having a bad day and decided to put the incident behind him. When they next met, George, though cautious, never mentioned it and acted pretty much as he always had.

A few days later the bucket incident was repeated. Once again, paragon that he was, George dried himself, changed, made allowances, and got on with life. The same scenario was repeated several times. He’d hear the doorbell, answer it, and suffer once again the same indignity. Always his reaction was the same, and he’d explain away the neighbour’s behaviour.

How long was it, do you think, before George decided not to open the door?

Disclaimer

* All characters appearing in this post are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.