It must have been about two in the morning when I returned home. I tried to wake
up my wife by ringing the door-bell, but she was fast asleep, so I got a ladder
from the shed in the garden, put it against the wall, and began climbing towards
the bedroom window. I was almost there when a sarcastic voice below said,' I don't
think the windows need cleaning at this time of the night.'
I looked down and nearly fell off the ladder when I saw a policeman. I immediately
regretted answering in the way I did, but I said, 'I enjoy cleaning windows at night.'
'So do I,' answered the policeman in the same tone. 'Excuse my interrupting you. I
hate to interrupt a man when he's busy working, but would you mind coming with me
to the station ?' 'Well, I'd prefer to stay here,' I said. 'You see, I've forgotten my key.'
'Your what ?' he called.
'My key,' I shouted.'
Fortunately, the shouting woke up my wife who opened the window just as the policeman had
started to climb towards me.