ONE day a Polish aristrocrat had a toothache and sent for the dentist. The dentist told him he would have to take out the tooth. As he was getting ready to extract it, the aristocrat saw a Russian general riding towards his house.
Poland was ruled by Russia in those days and though the Poles were outwardly very courteous to them they considered the Russians dimwitted and pompous and lost no opportunity to humiliate them.
When the aristocrat saw the general, a mischievous idea occured to him. He asked the dentist to go to the back of the house and wait there till he sent for him.
The Russian swaggered in and the Pole received him with a great show of cordiality. After the men had talked for a while the Pole said to his visitor: “They say Russians cannot endure pain. Is it true?"
“What nonsense!" roared the general. “Russians can bear pain as well as if not better than you people!”
"We'll soon see," said the aristocrat and calling to a servant asked him to fetch the dentist.
When the dentist came in, the Pole said to him: “Pull out one of my teeth!" The dentist pulled out the tooth he had inspected earlier.
“That was very well done." said the Pole. “And now the general would like to have a tooth pulled out too.”
The Russian turned pale but he had the honour of his countrymen to uphold. He meekly opened his mouth and let the dentist pull out a perfectly good tooth.
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