Tall Tail Tales

(I am working in the lobby of a large museum. We have a whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling. On a different floor, there is a limited time exhibit on dinosaurs.)

Woman: *points to large hanging skeleton* “Excuse me, what kind of animal is that?”

Me: “That’s a whale. It’s one of our prize—”

Woman: “That can’t be a whale! It has a tail!”

Me: “Um, I can assure you it’s a whale. Whales have tails.”

Woman: “Oh, I see. It’s like one of those weird prehistoric shark things?”

Me: “Well, actually this is an average modern-day whale—”

Woman: “But this is the dinosaur museum! And it’s got a tail!”

Me: “Actually, the dinosaur exhibit’s right upstairs.”

Woman: “Great! Maybe someone up there will be able to tell me what this is.”

Me: “It’s a whale.”

Woman: “It has a tail!”