The Man Who Orders Three Beers

In a small village in Ireland just south-west of Dublin, an old man who, recently moved there, started ordering three beers each and every time he visited the pub.

Finally, a week later, the bartender broaches the subject on behalf of the town. “I don't mean to pry, but folks around here are wondering why you always order three beers?”

“Tis odd, isn't it?” the man replies, “You see, I have two brothers, and one went to America, and the other to Australia. We promised each other that we would always order an extra two beers whenever we drank as a way of keeping up the family bond.”

The bartender and the whole town was pleased with this answer, and soon the Man Who Orders Three Beers became a local celebrity and source of pride to the village, even to the extent that out-of-towners from elsewhere in Ireland would come to watch him drink. Then, one day, the man comes in and orders only two beers. The bartender pours them with a heavy heart. This continues for the rest of the evening-- he orders only two beers. The word flies around the small village. Prayers are offered for the soul of one of the brothers.

The next day, the bartender says to the man, “Folks around here, me first of all, want to offer condolences to you for the death of your brother. You know-the two beers and all...”

The man ponders this for a moment, then replies, “You'll be happy to hear that my two brothers are alive and well. It's just that I, meself, have decided to give up drinking for the Advent Fast.”