It was very hot in the small courtroom and everybody was feeling sleepy.After a tiring morning, the clerks were anxious to get off to lunch and even the judge must have felt relieved when the last case came up before the court. A short,middle-aged man with gray hair and small blue eyes was now standing before him. The man had a foolish expression on his face and he kept looking around stupidly as if he was trying hard to understand what was going on.
The man was accused of breaking into a house and stealing a cheap watch. The witness who was called did not give a clear account of what had happened. He claimed to have seen a man outside the house one night, but on being questioned further, he confessed that he was not sure whether this was the man. The judge considered the matter for a short moment and then declared that as there was no real proof, the man could not be found guilty of any crime. He said that the case was dismissed and then rose to go.Meanwhile, the accused looked very puzzled.It was clear that he had not understood a thing. Noticing this, the judge paused for a moment and then the man said suddenly,"Excuse me, sir, but do I have to give the watch back or not?"