
New Puzzler, 11/1/97: Dreaming Of Guillotines
RAY: I wanted to use this for a long time. I've always refrained from using this
because I thought it was lousy. I'm kind of short on puzzlers. I'm going to use it. It was a
long, hot summer Sunday service. This old geezer who is sitting in church with his wife.
TOM: Is this the one about one eye?
RAY: No. Should I start all over?
TOM: Yeah.
RAY: This old geezer is sitting in church with his wife, nods off during the sermon. He
dreams that he is involved in the French Revolution. He's one of the leaders of the French
Revolution. He has brought the guillotine he is about to be executed by whoever pulls the --
what do they do? They pull the rope?
TOM: Yeah.
RAY: The ropes Pierre. Just as he dreams that the blade is falling, his wife happens to
notice that this old codger is asleep. She taps him on the back of the neck with her finger to
wake him up. The shock of thinking that the blade has arrived to cut off his head makes him
have a heart attack,and he dies on the spot. What's wrong with this story?
TOM: I got it already. Should I tell you?
RAY: No! If you think you know the answer or just have nothing to do at work and want
to take a guess, I mean there are many. Well, I will discuss -- nothing to do with work.
TOM: Oh I got it immediately.
RAY: Well, I know you do because you were paying attention.
TOM: I was.