Fifty dollars is fifty dollars.

Morris and his wife Esther went to the state fair every year, and every year Morris would say, “Esther, I’d like to ride in that helicopter.”

Esther always replied, “I know, dear, but that helicopter ride is fifty dollars. And fifty dollars is fifty dollars.”

One year Esther and Morris went to the fair, and Morris said, “Esther, I’m eighty-five years old. If I don’t ride that helicopter, I might never get another chance.”

Esther replied, “Yes, dear, but that helicopter ride is fifty dollars. And fifty dollars is fifty dollars.”

The pilot overheard the couple bickering and said, “Folks, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll take the both of you for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and not say a word, I won’t charge you a penny. But if you say one word, it’ll be fifty dollars.”

Morris and Esther agreed, and up they went. The pilot did all kinds of fancy maneuvers, yet not a word was uttered. He did flips, twirls, and other daredevil tricks. Over and over again. But still, not a word.

When they landed, the pilot turned to Morris and said, “By golly, I did everything I could to get you to say something, but you didn’t utter a word. I’m impressed!”

Morris replied, “Well, to tell you the truth, I almost said something when Esther fell out. But, hey, you know. Fifty dollars is fifty dollars.”