Lord Wolfenden, C.B.E. , president of Chelsea College of the...

Lord Wolfenden, C.B.E. , president of Chelsea College of the University of London, recounts the
following funny anecdote:

I had a case of vintage port in my cellar and my wife told me to empty each and every
bottle down the sink, or else.... So I reluctantly proceeded with the unhappy task.

I drew the cork from the first bottle and poured the contents down the sink, with the
exception of one glass, which I drank.

I pulled the cork from the second bottle and did likewise, with the exception of one
glass, which I drank.

I emptied the third bottle, except for a glass, which I drank and then I took the cork
from the fourth sink, poured the glass down the bottle and drank that too.

I pulled the bottle from the next glass, drank one sink out of it, and emptied the rest
down the cork.

Then I pulled the sink from the next bottle and poured it down the glass and drank the cork.
And finally I took the glass from the last bottle, emptied the cork, poured the sink down the
rest and drank the pour.

When I had everything emptied, I steadied the house with one hand, counted the bottles and
glasses and corks with the other and found there were 29.

To make sure, I recounted them when they came by again and this time there were 74.

As the house came around for the third time, I counted them again, and finally I had all
the houses and sinks and glasses and corks and bottles, except one house, which I then drank.