Once, late at night, an Englishman came out of his room into the corridor of a hotel and asked the servant to bring him a glass of water.
The servant did as he was asked.
The Englishman re-entered his room, but a few minutes later he came into the corridor again and once more asked the servant for a glass of water.
The servant brought him another glass of water.
Every few minutes the Englishmen would come out of his room and repeat his request.
After a half-hour the astonished servant decided to ask the Englishman what he was doing with the water.
“Nothing,” the Englishman answered imperturbably, “It’s simply that my room is on fire.”
