The Strange Bet Joke

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A well dressed man was walking along in the country when he came upon a shepherd. He says,
‘Listen, Mr Farmer, I bet I can guess how many sheep you have.’
 

The farmer starts to laugh:
‘I have a lot of sheep. You'll couldn’t possibly guess how many.’
 

‘Do you want to make a bet?’ asks the man. ‘If I can guess how many sheep you have, you'll give me one of your sheep. If I can't, I'll pay you £500.’

The shepherd agrees: ‘Ok, how many there are?’

‘You have exactly 1,742 sheep,’ says the man.

The shepherd is shocked: ‘Incredible! I really do have 1,742 sheep! Well, a bet's a bet. Choose the sheep you want.’

‘OK, I'll take this one,’ says the man, picking up one of the animals.

Wait a moment, sir,’ says the shepherd. ‘Let's make another bet: If I can guess your job, you will give me back my sheep, and if I don't, you can take another one.’ The man agrees to the bet and the shepherd
says, ‘You’re an accountant.’

‘Unbelievable! Well done! But how did you know?’ enquires the man.

‘Put my dog down, and I'll explain.’