A neighbor ran into Judge Nasrudin’s room and asked, “If one man’s cow kills another man’s cow, is the owner of the first cow responsible?”
“It depends,” Nasrudin cautiously answered.
“Well,” said the man, “your cow has killed mine!”
“Oh,” answered Nasrudin. “Well, everyone knows that a cow can’t think like a human. So obviously, a cow isn’t responsible—and therefore, its owner isn’t responsible either.”
“Excuse me, Judge,” the man interrupted, “I made a mistake. What I meant to say is that my cow has killed yours!”
Judge Nasrudin sat in contemplation for a few moments. “Now that I think about it more carefully,” he announced, “this case is much more complex then I initially thought.”
He turned to his assistant and said, “Please bring me that big blue book on the shelf behind you…”