h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

>>> Has the man ever had pelican soup before? -- No

Had the man ever been led to believe he had eaten pelican stew before?

Did the man talk to anyone other than the waiter about his pelican stew?

Is the man a vegetarian, vegan, or a member of some other group who would become very upset by the idea of eating a pelican? -- No
Had the man ever been led to believe he had eaten pelican stew before? -- YES
Did the man talk to anyone other than the waiter about his pelican stew? -- N/A

We're making some headway now, aren't we? Woo-hoo!
B4iget2excitedabouttherecentturnofevents

OK to recap .

A man goes into a restaurant.
He orders a bowl of pelican stew.
The waiter brings one to him.
The man takes one bite of the stew and goes insane.
Why?

Is the man alone? -- YES
Is there pelican in pelican stew? -- YES
would he not take a mouth full rather than a bite, given it was stew...? -- YES
Is it the pelican component of the stew that makes the man insane , or some other ingredient ? -- YES
Had the man ever been led to believe he had eaten pelican stew before? -- YES

Is the pelican alive?

The earlier time, when the man had been lead to believe he had had pelican stew, was that stew made from something other than pelican?

Was the taste of the current bowl of pelican stew significantly different than the earlier alleged pelican stew?

Has the man eaten actual pelican stew at this restaurant before?

mini

was the stew made in a copper pot?

Did the man suddenly realize that he had been ordering and eating a stew made from an endangered species?

Does pelican stew have anything to do with the fact that the man went insane?

We're really getting somewhere now!

Is the pelican alive? -- No
The earlier time, when the man had been lead to believe he had had pelican stew, was that stew made from something other than pelican? -- YES
Was the taste of the current bowl of pelican stew significantly different than the earlier alleged pelican stew? -- YES
Has the man eaten actual pelican stew at this restaurant before? -- No
was the stew made in a copper pot? -- N/A
Did the man suddenly realize that he had been ordering and eating a stew made from an endangered species? -- No

B4wetakeatripdownmemorylane&takeawrongturn

Does pelican stew have anything to do with the fact that the man went insane? -- YES

B4ihittheRECAPbuttonatthetopofthenextpage

Does the size of the bill make him insane ?

...was the smiley name...

B4iget2knowthesenewsmileyslikethebackofmyhand

Does the size of the bill make him insane ? -- No
...umm... You did mean the monetary remuneration for the meal, not the length of the pelican's proboscis, right? ...er-hum... Not that ~that~ has anything to do with solving the riddle...

B4wegetintoanatomy&physiognomy

Well I was thinking whats so different about a pelican to another bird ? And the huge bill sprang to mind .....so im' thinking big bill beak/cost of meal . Its not that I deliberately think outside the box its more a case of not knowing there is a box in the first place .

>>>The earlier time, when the man had been lead to believe he had had pelican stew, was that stew made from something other than pelican? -- YES
>>>Was the taste of the current bowl of pelican stew significantly different than the earlier alleged pelican stew? -- YES

For ease of typing, may I refer to the earlier stew made from something other than pelican and tasting different from pelican as "non-pelican stew"?

(Golly I sure hope so because I type like a glacier. Forging ahead as if the answer is YES...)

Was the non-pelican ingredient in the non-pelican stew a meat product the man considered taboo?

Did the man ordinarily eat Kosher?

Was the non-pelican ingredient in the non-pelican stew a meat product the man considered taboo? -- YES
Did the man ordinarily eat Kosher? -- N/A

Oh, and Todaymueller, I thought your 'bill' posting was an amusing double entendre.

B4wefindoutthepelicant

Oh... Happy Nerd, your use of non-pelican is perfectly acceptable, so as to speed up your posting speed without excess verbiage.

B4isuggestyouconsultwithMavisBeacon

B4isuggestyouconsultwithMavisBeacon,

Actually I did the Mavis Beacon typing course on computer. I got all the way up to 34 words per minute, then made no more progress.

Was the non-pelican stew made of puppies?

Was the non-pelican stew made of kitties?

Was the non-pelican stew made of some other beloved domestic pet?

Was the non-pelican stew made of humans?


HN