Good and Bad News

Two friends who had not seen each other a great while, meeting by chance, one asked the other how he did? He replied that he was not very well, and was married since they had last met.

“That is good news indeed.”

“Nay, not so very good neither, for I married a shrew.”

“That is bad, too.”

“Not so bad, neither, for I had two thousand pounds with her.”

“That is well again.”

“Not so well, neither, for I laid it out in sheep, and they all died of the rot.”

“That was hard, in truth.”

“Not so hard, neither, for I sold the skins for more than the sheep cost me.”

“Aye, that made you amends.”

“Not so much amends, neither, for I laid my money out in a house, and it was burned.”

“That was a great loss, indeed.”

“Not so great a loss, neither—for my wife was burned in it.”