Tommy was sitting in math class when suddenly his teacher asked him βTommy, How much is 2 + 2?β
Tommy, caught off guard, begins counting his fingers under the table mumbling to himself: β1β¦2β¦3β¦4,β before happily exclaiming βThe answer is four!β
βThatβs correct,β answered his teacher, βbut I saw you counting your fingers instead of doing the math in your head. So I want you to put your hands behind your back and tell me what do you get if you add 3 + 3?β
Tommy put his hands behind his back, but his teacher saw that he was still moving uncomfortably as if he were trying to count fingers. After a few moments he said uncertainly, "is the answer six?"
"You are correct," she replied, "but I see you're still counting fingers despite me asking you not to! Put your hands in your pant pockets and tell me what you get if you add 5 + 5."
Tommy put his hands in his pants and his teacher saw him looking at his pants and moving his lips without uttering a word.
Finally the teacher became impatient and said: "I see what you're doing there and I can tell you right now that the answer is not eleven!"