One day, four young warriors turn up outside the pearly gates. St. Peter explained
that before they could pass they must answer one simple question. Up walked
the first guy. St Peter asked, "What's 2+2?"
The 1st warrior answers: "3"
"NO" said St Peter, "5"
"NO" said St Peter "4"
"Yes; in you go."
Up comes the second warrior. St Peter asked him, "What's 2+2?"
He answered, "The square root of 16." Very impressed St Peter allows
him past.
Up comes the third warrior. St Peter asked him, "What's 2+2?"
"It's greater than 2."
"Yes"
"But less than 6"
"Yes"
"It's greater than 3"
"Yes"
"But less than 5"
"Yes"
"It's 4"
"Well done, in you go"
Up comes the fourth warrior. St Peter asked him, "What's 2+2?"
"5 , Arrooooaa ! ! ! " and with no by your leave he barges past St
Peter and in through the pearly gates. Observing all this, an angel asked St
Peter, "What was all that about?"
St Peter answered, "It's perfectly obvious: there must be another war on
earth, and those four men were all officers who have been killed."
"How can you tell?" inquires the angel.
"The first guy was an army tanker, dumb as seaweed and crude as mud, but
he kept hammering away until he got through. The second guy was a combat engineer,
who gave me more information than I really required. The third guy was an artillery
man, who was uncomfortable with any firm answer, but was bracketing to zero
in on the correct answer."
"But what about the fourth guy?" inquired the angel. "He got
it wrong, and then tore through the gates anyway."
Ahh Yes said St Peter, "But that was a U. S. Marine infantryman - dumber
than dirt, but you've just gotta love 'em."