Farmer Joe decided his injuries from his recent accident were serious enough to take the trucking company responsible for the accident to court. In court, the trucking company’s fancy lawyer was questioning farmer Joe.

“Didn’t you say, at the scene of the accident, that you were fine?” 

“Well, lemme 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, that you were fine?”  

“Well, I had just got Bessie into the trailer and was driving down the road –” 

“Your Honor, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Highway Patrolman on the scene that he was just fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please instruct him to simply answer the question.”

By this time the judge was fairly interested in Farmer Joe’s story, and told the lawyer, “I have a feeling this is relevant.  

“Go, on sir,” he told Joe.

“Well, like I was tryin’ to say, I had just loaded Bessie – she was my favorite mule – into the trailer and was driving her down the highway when this huge 18-wheeler come outta nowhere, ran the stop sign, and smacked into my truck and trailer. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie and the trailer was thrown into the other. I was hurting real bad and didn’t want to move. I could hear ol’ Bessie a-moanin’ and groanin’. 

“Well, it weren’t too long when a Trooper came on the scene. He could hear Bessie a-moanin’ 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 with his gun in his hand and looked at me. He said, ‘Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot her. How are you feeling?’”