Back for His Umbrella
A man went back to his office to pick up an umbrella he had left there.
Because of this, he nearly missed the last train and ran to the station.
He managed to catch the train, but once he sat down, he thought, “I wish I hadn’t gone back for the umbrella.”
Why did he regret going back for it?
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View Hints
Hints
Use as many hints as you need, one at a time.
Hint 1
He did bring the umbrella home.
Hint 2
The weather changed between his first departure from the office and his run to the station.
Hint 3
Catching the last train mattered more to him than staying dry.
Check the Answer
Answer
If he had gone straight to the station, he would have arrived before the rain started. Instead, the detour left him short of time, so he ran through the rain with his umbrella closed to make running easier and catch the last train.
Explanation
The umbrella was not broken. He could have used it normally.
It was not raining when he first left the office. If he had gone straight to the station, he would have arrived before the rain began. But the rain started while he was going back for his umbrella, and the detour left him with little time to catch the last train.
He thought an open umbrella would make running harder, so he ran with it closed. He chose to get wet rather than risk missing the train.
Going back for the umbrella meant both being caught in the rain and feeling that hurrying mattered more than using it. That was why he regretted the detour, even though he brought the umbrella home.
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