A city boy, Jack, has just moved to the country and bought a donkey from an old farmer for $100.
The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day. However, the next day the farmer drove up and said that the donkey had died last night. Jack asked the farmer about the money, but the farmer had already spent the money and so could not return it.
Jack didn't give up and asked the farmer to unload the dead donkey. The farmer asked what would he do with that donkey, he said, "I am going to raffle him off" (To raffle him off is -- To offer something as a prize in a lottery in which a number of persons buy chances to win.)
A month later, the farmer met Jack again and asked, "What happened with that dead donkey?"
Jack said, "I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at $2 a piece and made a profit of $998."
Farmer, "Didn't anyone complain?"
Jack, "Just the guy who won. So, I gave him back his two dollars."