An old country farmer with serious financial problems bought a donkey from another old farmer for $100, who agreed to deliver the mule the next day.
However, the next day he drove up and said, "Sorry, but I have some bad news. The donkey died."
"Well, then, just give me my money back."
"Can't do that. I went and spent it already."
"OK, then. Just unload the donkey."
"What ya gonna do with a dead donkey?"
"I'm going to raffle him off."
"You can't raffle off a dead donkey!"
"Sure I can. I just won't tell anybody he's dead."
A month later the two met up and the farmer who sold the donkey asked, "Whatever happened with that dead donkey?"
"I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at $2 apiece and made a profit of $898."
"Didn't anyone complain?"
"Just the guy who won. So I gave him his two dollars back."