217. L2 - Ticket Please

Ticket Please

Three New Zealanders and three Australians are travelling by train to a cricket（板球） match at the World Cup in England.

At the station, the three Australians each buy a ticket and watch as the three New Zealanders buy just one ticket between them. “How are the three of you going to travel on only one ticket?” asks one of the Australians. “Watch and learn,” answers one of the New Zealanders.

They all board（上车、船、飞机） the train. The Australians take their own seats but all three New Zealanders crowd into a toilet and close the door behind them.

Shortly after the train has departed, the conductor（列车员）comes around collecting tickets. He knocks on the toilet door and says, “Ticket please.”

The door opens just a crack and a single arm comes out with a ticket in hand. The conductor takes it and moves on.

The Australians see this and agree it is quite a clever idea. So after the game, they decide to copy the New Zealanders on the return trip and save some money. When they got to the station, they buy a single ticket for the return trip. To their surprise, the New Zealanders don’t buy a ticket at all.

“How are you going to travel without a ticket?” says one of the puzzled Australians.

“Watch and learn,” answers a New Zealander. When they board the train, the three Australians crowd into a toilet and soon the three New Zealanders crowd into another nearby. The train departs.

Shortly afterwards, one of the New Zealanders leaves the toilet and walks over to the toilet where the Australians are hiding. He knocks on the door and says, “Ticket please.”