A newlywed farmer and his wife were visited by her mother, who immediately demanded
an inspection of the place. While they were walking through the barn, the farmer's mule
suddenly reared up and kicked the mother-in-law in the head, killing her instantly.
At the funeral service a few days later, the farmer stood near the casket and
greeted folks as they walked by. The pastor noticed that whenever a woman would
whisper something to the farmer, he would nod his head "yes" and say something.
Whenever a man walked by and whispered to the farmer, he would shake his head
"no" and mumble a reply.
Curious, the pastor later asked the farmer what that was all about. The farmer
replied, "The women would say, 'What a terrible tragedy' and I would nod my head
and say, 'Yes, it was.' The men would ask, 'You wanna sell that mule?' and I would
shake my head and say, 'Can't. It's all booked up for a year.'"