The absent-minded professor

There was a history professor who was very good and very kind. The students all liked him. One very hot day he came to the class and taught the students. The students were very pleased. When the class was over, one by one the students left. Only one boy was still collecting his books. He was a little bit late in going out. He saw the professor desperately searching, searching and searching for something.

While going out, the boy asked, “Please tell me if anything is missing.”

The professor said, “Yes, yes, I am missing something! Today it is so hot. You saw that I took off my jacket, I took off my tie and I even took off my wristwatch. Now I have got my jacket and I have got my tie, but my wristwatch is missing.”

“Your wristwatch is missing?” the student asked.

“Yes,” said the professor.

The boy said, “Sir, look at your right wrist.”

“Oh,” cried the professor, “It is there! How could it be? Every day I put the watch on my left wrist, but I forgot that today I put it on my right wrist. I was looking at my left hand, so I did not see it.”

The boy started to go away, but the professor wanted to give the boy a ride home in his car. He said, “Today you have saved me from embarrassment.”

“What kind of embarrassment?” asked the student.

The professor explained, “I would have gone home, and even at home I would have continued searching for my wristwatch, because I was not aware that it was on my right wrist. What an embarrassment!”

The boy said, “My house is very near, Professor.”

The professor thanked the boy profusely, because at home also he would have searched for the wristwatch, in front of his family. He would have still missed his wristwatch at home, and he would have continued looking for it. Absent-minded people are like that!