The local bar was so confident that its bartender was the strongest man in town that they had a standing $1,000 bet.
The challenge was simple: The bartender would squeeze a lemon until every last drop of juice ran into a glass. Then, he’d hand the squeezed-out rind to a challenger.
If anyone could squeeze even a single extra drop of juice from the lemon, they’d win the money.
Over the years, many had tried—weightlifters, longshoremen, bodybuilders—but no one had ever succeeded.
One day, a scrawny little man walked into the bar. He wore thick glasses, a polyester suit, and spoke in a small, squeaky voice.
“I’d like to try the bet,” he said.
The bar erupted in laughter, but the bartender shrugged and said, “Alright, suit yourself.”
He grabbed a lemon, squeezed it with all his might until not a drop remained, and handed the dry, wrinkled peel to the little man.
To everyone’s shock, the man clenched his fist around the lemon—and six drops of juice dripped into the glass.
The bar fell silent. Then, an explosion of cheers filled the room as the bartender, still in disbelief, handed over the $1,000 prize.
Shaking his head, he asked, “That was incredible! What do you do for a living? Are you a lumberjack? A powerlifter? What?”
The little man smiled. “I work for the IRS.”
