Beyond Despair
A man was in despair.
He kept banging on a wall, hoping someone would notice him.
After a while, he heard knocking from the other side, as though someone were answering him.
Thinking he was saved, he desperately called for help.
But the knocking became more forceful, and he felt even more desperate than before.
Why?
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Hints
Use as many hints as you need, one at a time.
Hint 1
He was somewhere people use in everyday life. His life was not in danger.
Hint 2
He was missing something and wanted someone to bring it to him.
Hint 3
The person outside wanted to use the place he was in as soon as possible.
Check the Answer
Answer
After using a toilet, the man discovered that there was no toilet paper.
He could not reach the door while sitting on the toilet, so he was banging on the nearby wall to get someone to bring him some.
Someone arrived and knocked on the door.
Thinking help was at hand, the man desperately explained that there was no paper. But they could not understand each other’s language, so his request did not get across.
The person outside urgently needed to use the toilet too and was knocking to tell him to hurry up and come out.
He had thought someone would help him, but no paper arrived: the knocking on the door only grew more forceful.
He became increasingly flustered and felt even more desperate than before.
Explanation
After using a toilet away from home, the man discovered that the paper had run out. He could not find a spare roll and had nothing with him that he could use instead.
He could not bring himself to get dressed and leave without wiping, so he wanted someone to bring him some paper.
He could not reach the door while sitting on the toilet. Instead, he repeatedly banged on a wall within reach, hoping someone would notice him.
Eventually, he heard knocking from outside the cubicle.
Thinking he could finally ask for paper, he called out and explained his situation.
But the person outside spoke a different language. Neither could understand the other, and the man’s desperate attempts to ask for paper did not get across.
The person outside urgently needed to use the toilet too. As the cubicle remained occupied, they knocked harder and harder, trying to tell him to hurry up and come out.
The man inside wanted someone to bring him paper.
The person outside wanted him to leave.
The man could not understand what the other person was saying. All he knew was that, despite his hope of getting help, no paper had arrived and the door was being pounded on. This left him increasingly flustered.
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