A student, a barber, and a bald man were travelling together. One night in an inn they felt ill at ease, so they decided to take turns keeping watch. They drew lots, and the barber got the first turn. While he was keeping watch he took out his razor and shaved the student's head completely bald. When the student's time came to keep watch, the barber awakened him.

Still half asleep, the student scratched his head, and finding no hair, he said, "That stupid fool of a barber made a mistake and woke up the bald man instead of me."