At a hospital the relatives gathered in the waiting room,
where their
family member lay gravely ill. Finally, the doctor came
in looking tired
and somber.
Surveying the worried faces, the doctor said: "I'm afraid
I'm the bearer of
bad news. The only hope left for your loved one at this
time is a brain
transplant. It's an experimental procedure, very risky,
and you will have
to pay for the brain yourselves."
The family members sat silent as they absorbed the news.
After a great
length of time, someone asked, "Well, how much does a
brain cost?" The
doctor quickly responded, "$5,000 for a male brain, and
$200 for a female
brain."
The moment turned awkward. Men in the room tried not to
smile, avoiding
eye contact with the women, but some actually smirked.
One man, unable to
control his curiosity, blurted out the question everyone
wanted to ask,
"Why is the male brain so much more expensive?"
The doctor smiled at the childish innocence and said to
the entire group,
"It's just standard pricing procedure. We have to mark
down the price of
the female brains, because they've been used."
