A man from the city was driving through the countryside when his car suddenly sputtered and died. Stranded on a quiet road with no cell service, he saw a farmhouse in the distance and decided to walk there for help.
He found an old farmer working in his field. “Excuse me, sir,” the city man said. “My car broke down just up the road. I’m not much of a mechanic. I was wondering if you could help?”
The farmer wiped his brow with a handkerchief, looked the man up and down, and said, “Well, I’m no mechanic either, but I can take a look. What kind of car is it?”
“It’s a brand new, top-of-the-line sports car,” the man replied proudly. “It has a very complex engine.”
The farmer grunted and they walked to the car. The city man opened the hood to reveal a maze of wires, tubes, and shiny metal parts. The farmer stared at the engine for a long moment, not saying a word. He walked around the car once, kicked one of the tires, and then came back to the front.
He leaned over the engine, closed his eyes as if in deep concentration, and then, with surprising gentleness, he reached in and simply licked the engine block.
He stood up straight, a thoughtful look on his face. “Yep,” he said, nodding wisely. “It’s the battery.”
The city man was astonished. “That’s incredible! You figured that out just by… licking it? How did you know?”
The farmer spat on the ground and looked at him. “Tasted like a battery.”