I heard this joke on the NPR radio program Car Talk – one of my favorites. Guess it has been around for a while but worth repeating.
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A rancher named Clyde had a car accident. In court the trucking company’s fancy lawyer was questioning Clyde.
He said, “Didn’t you say at the scene of the accident “I’m fine” asked the lawyer?
Clyde responded, “Well, I’ll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule Bessie into the…”
“I didn’t ask for any details” the lawyer interrupted. “Just answer the question. Did you not say at the scene of the accident “I’m fine”?”
Clyde said “Well, I had just gotten Bessie into the trailer and I was driving down the road…..”
The lawyer interrupted again and said “Judge, I’m trying to establish the fact at the scene of the accident this man told a Highway Patrolman on the scene that he was just fine. Please tell him to simply answer the question.”
By this time the Judge was fairly interested in Clyde’s answer and said to the lawyer that “I’d like to actually hear what he has to say about the favorite mule Bessie.”
Clyde thanked the Judge and proceeded.
“Well, as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into the trailer and was driving her down the highway when this huge semi-truck and trailer ran the stop sign and smacked my truck right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessy was thrown into the other.
“I was hurting real bad and I didn’t want to move, however I could hear old Bessie moaning and groaning.
“Shortly after the accident a Highway Patrolman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes.
“Then the Patrolman came across the road, gun in hand, looked at me, and said how are you feeling?
“Now what the hell would you say?”