Change for a Hundred

It was almost two in the morning at the petrol station on the edge of town. Bruno was the only clerk, and he was very sleepy.

A customer walked in, the only one for an hour. He looked at the shelves for a long time. Then he came to the counter with one small chocolate bar.

“Is that all?” Bruno asked.

“That's all,” the customer said. “How much?”

“One dollar,” Bruno said. He was extremely tired. He rang it up rather slowly.

The customer gave him a hundred-dollar bill.

Bruno stared at it. He stared at the chocolate. He stared at the customer.

“Wow,” Bruno said. “At two in the morning, you want me to find ninety-nine dollars in change for a chocolate bar?”

The customer thought for a moment. “Are you sure you don't have it?”

“Oh, I'm sure,” Bruno said. “I'm very sure.”

The customer smiled and put the big bill away. He found one dollar in his pocket.

“In that case,” he said, “I'm very sure I have one dollar.”

Bruno laughed for the first time all night. “Round here, dear customer, everybody is very sure at two in the morning.”