Tattoo Design Contest

Pat and Mike, Sudoku addicts from Dublin, were keen to take part in an international Sudoku contest. But they knew this was highly unlikely to happen, as neither was very good at the game.

Pat had a brainwave. The contest was being held in a village in France; Pat had a French friend, Pierre, who lived near the venue of the contest. Pierre assured Pat he would get them both entered into the contest, provided they landed at the village, an hour before the contest.

With barely a day left for the contest, this seemed improbable, until Pierre remembered his friend, Jean, who was a pilot. Jean consented to flying Pat and Mike to above the venue of the contest, from where they would use a parachute to get down to where Pierre would be waiting for them, in his car.

All went well, until they were 30,000 feet high above the contest village. Neither Pat nor Mike had ever jumped off a plane before, and were understandably nervous.

Jean told them not to worry: "At 20,000 feet, press this red button and the parachute will open. If it doesn't, not to worry; just press this green button, at 10,000 feet."

Reassured, Pat and Mike jumped off and fell gaily through the air, till at 20,000 feet, exchanging a conspiratorial smile, they pressed their respective red buttons. The parachute failed to open. But the pair weren't unduly worried - there was always the green button, at 10,000 feet.

But when the green button also failed, the friends became a little pensive, as they fell through the air at a rapid rate.

Until Mike broke the silence: "Pat. I think your friend, Pierre, is a bloody liar! I bet, when we get down, there'll be no car either, and we'll have to walk to the contest!"

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