Slicing The Ends Off

Little Emma is watching her mother preparing their dinner – this week it's Salt Beef. Emma watches her mother slice off both ends of the joint and place it in a saucepan ready for cooking. Emma asks, "Why did you cut both ends off, Mum?"

Her mother pauses for a few seconds, then replies, "That's a good question, Emma. It's what my mother always did when she made Salt Beef and I just do the same, but I've no idea why. Let's phone Granny and ask her."

So they phone granny and ask why she always sliced the ends off the Salt Beef before cooking.

Granny replies, "You know, I'm not sure why – that was the way I always saw my mother make Salt Beef."

Because they are now very curious, they visit Emma's great grandmother in the nursing home and say to her, "You know when we make Salt Beef, why do we always slice off the ends before cooking it?"

"I don't know why you do it," says the great grandmother, "but I never had a saucepan that was large enough!"