Josh wanted to buy a bicycle but didn't have enough money. after josh told his troubles to sam slick, sam said,"i can fix that. see that fence? each time you jump that fence, i'll double your money. there's one small thing though: you must give me $32 each time for the priviledge of jumping." josh agreed, jumped the fence, received his payment from sam slick, and paid sam $32. repeating the routine twice more, josh was distressed to find that, on the last jump, after sam had made his payment to josh, josh had only $32, with which to pay sam and so had nothing left. sam, of course, went merrily on his way, leaving josh wishing that he had known a little more about mathematics.