A man who asked his guest to stay for a cup of tea sent his servant to borrow some tea leaves from his neighbors. When the water started to boil he poured in some water, waiting for the return of the servant. Before long, the water started boiling again, so he had to pour in more water. This was repeated several times until the cauldron was full and the servant still failed to come back. At this point, the man’s wife suggested to him:

“Since this gentleman is an intimate friend of yours, you might as well ask him to take a bath instead.”