Three Men and a Ladder

The problem began when Gerald Marsh decided his eavestroughs needed cleaning and mentioned this within earshot of both Roy Tanner and Frank Delaney.

Roy said he had a ladder. Frank said he had done eavestroughs before. Gerald, who had only meant to think aloud, suddenly found himself hosting an operation.

The ladder was twelve feet. The eavestrough was sixteen. Roy held the ladder. Frank climbed it. Gerald watched from below and offered observations that nobody had requested. The eavestrough was cleared on one side. The ladder was repositioned. Frank climbed again. The other side was cleared, except for one section that required a further repositioning and some debate.

Afterward, they sat on Gerald's back steps with cups of coffee and reviewed what had been accomplished. The job had taken four times longer than it would have taken one person working alone. But Gerald noticed that none of them seemed to be in a hurry to leave.

He thought that might be worth something, and decided it was.