One morning, John left his house with six donkeys to go to the market. After a time, he got very tired and got on one of them. He counted the donkeys, and there were only five, so he got off and went to look for the sixth. He looked and looked but did not find it. So he went back to the donkeys and counted them again. This time there were six, so he got on one of them again, and they all started.

After a few minutes, he counted the donkeys again, and again there were only five! While he was counting again, a friend of his passed, and John said to him, “I left my house with six donkeys; then, I had five; then, I had six again; and now I have only five! Look! One, two, three, four, five.”

“But, John,” said his friend, “you are sitting on a donkey too! That is the sixth! And you are the seventh!”