The Inspiration Station (Nov 10)

Once there were two woodcutters who made a bet about which one of them would be able to cut more wood between the morning and four o‘clock that afternoon.

In the morning the two men took up their position. First they worked both worked at one speed. But after an hour, one of them heard that the other one had stopped cutting trees. Realising that this was his chance, the first woodcutter started to cut trees with double efforts.

Ten minutes passed, and he heard the second woodcutter start to work again.
This lasted all day long. Each hour one of woodcutters stopped for ten minutes and the other one continued to work. When the time expired, the first woodcutter who worked without stopping was absolutely sure that he had won the bet.

He was very surprised to find that he was mistaken.

“How did that happen?” he asked his partner. “Each hour I heard you stop work for ten minutes. How could you cut more trees than I? It’s impossible!”
“It was very simple, in fact” answered the second woodcutter. “Each hour I stopped work for ten minutes. And while you were cutting the trees, I sharpened my axe.”