The salesman frowned but stayed quiet as the farmer began to read:
- Base price of cow: $500
- Grass conversion system (turns grass into milk): $150
- Built-in alarm clock (moos at sunrise): $75
- Rear bumper (tail): $25
- Four-wheel drive system: $200
- Leather upholstery: $300
- Waste management system (fully automatic): $100
- Entertainment package (occasional kicking and mooing): $50
- Fuel tank (stomach): $125
- Onboard fertilizer production: $175
The salesman’s jaw dropped lower with each line.
“Are you serious?” he said. “This is ridiculous!”
The farmer folded the paper neatly and tucked it back into his pocket.
“Well now,” he replied with a straight face, “that’s exactly what I thought when I bought that pickup truck from you.”
The salesman froze.
The farmer continued, his tone calm but firm:
“You told me the truck came with ‘extras’ too. Power this, power that… things I didn’t ask for but still had to pay for.”
He gave a small shrug.
“I just figured I’d return the favor.”
The salesman looked down at his check, then back at the cow, then at his son—who was trying very hard not to laugh.
After a long pause, the salesman sighed.
“Alright,” he said, tearing up the check. “Let’s try this again.”
The farmer smiled slightly.
“Now that sounds more reasonable.”
A few minutes later, they agreed on a fair price—no “extras,” no surprises.
As the salesman and his son led the cow away, the boy whispered, “Dad… I think he outsmarted you.”
The salesman shook his head and chuckled.
“No,” he said. “He just reminded me how business should be done.”
And from that day on, the salesman made sure every price he quoted was honest, clear… and didn’t come with any unexpected “extras.”