> From: An Irish Listmember
>
> >> An Irishman moves into a tiny village in County
> >
> >> Kerry, walks into the pub and promptly orders three
> >
> >> beers. The bartender raises his eyebrows, but serves the man three
> >
> >> beers, which he drinks quietly at a table, alone. An hour later,
the
man
> >
> >> has finished the three beers and orders three more.

> >> This happens yet again. The next evening the man again
> >
> >> orders and drinks three beers at a time, several times. Soon the
> >
> >> entire town is whispering about the "Man Who Orders Three Beers,"

> >> Finally, a week later, the bartender broaches the subject on
> >
> >> behalf of the town. "I don't mean to pry, but folks around
> >
> >> here are wondering why you always order three beers?"
> >
> >> "Tis odd, isn't it?" the man replies, "You see, I have
> >
> >> two brothers, and one went to America, and the other to Australia.
We
> >
> >> promised each other that we would always order an extra two beers
> >
> >> whenever we drank as a way of keeping up the family bond."

> >> The bartender and the whole town was pleased with this answer,
> >
> >> and soon the "Man Who Orders Three Beers" became a local celebrity
and
> >
> >> source of pride to the village, even to the extent that
out-of-towners
> >
> >> would come to watch him drink.

> >> Then, one day, the man comes in and orders only two beers. The
> >
> >> bartender pours them with a heavy heart. This continues for the
> >
> >> rest of the evening: he orders only two beers. The word flies
around
> >
> >> town.

> > Prayers are offered for the soul of one of the brothers.

> >> The next day, the bartender says to the man, "Folks around here,
> >
> >> me first of all, want to offer condolences to you for the death of
> >
> >> your brother. You know-the two beers and all...

> >> The man ponders this for a moment, then replies, "You'll be happy
> >
> >> to hear that me two brothers are alive and well. It's just that I,
> >
> >> meself, have decided to give up drinking for Lent."