One day, three friends – a chef, a drummer, and a mathematician – were all going on a road trip together. As they were driving down the highway, their car suddenly broke down in the middle of nowhere.
After an hour of trying to fix the car with no success, they realized they were going to have to walk to the nearest town for help. As they were walking, they stumbled upon a farm and decided to ask the farmer if they could use his phone.
The farmer agreed and let them use his phone, but he warned them that they were in a town known for its quirky inhabitants. The friends didn't think much of it and called for a tow truck to come pick them up.
While they were waiting, the farmer invited them to sit down and have some dinner with him. The chef was thrilled and offered to cook them all a delicious meal using ingredients from the farm.
As they were enjoying their meal, the farmer's wife came in and asked if they would like some dessert. The chef replied, "I would love to make us some apple pie, but I need some apples first."
The farmer told them that he had a special apple tree in the backyard that only grew magic apples, and they were the key ingredient for the best apple pie ever. The friends were intrigued and followed the farmer to the backyard.
When they got to the tree, the farmer explained that in order to pick the magic apples, they had to solve a riddle. The mathematician was excited and said, "I love riddles, give it to me!"
The farmer cleared his throat and asked, "I am taken from a mine, and shut up in a wooden case, from which I am never released, and yet I am used by almost every person. What am I?"
The mathematician thought for a moment and proudly declared, "A pencil!"
The farmer nodded in approval and let the mathematician pick an apple from the tree. The friends were amazed as the apple glowed with a golden light.
The drummer couldn't resist and asked if he could try the next riddle. The farmer agreed and asked, "What has hands but cannot clap?"
The drummer grinned and said, "A clock!"
Once again, the farmer nodded and let the drummer pick an apple. The friends could hardly contain their excitement as they realized they were one step closer to tasting the best apple pie ever.
Finally, it was the chef's turn. The farmer posed his riddle, "What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?"
The chef furrowed his brow and thought hard for a few minutes before finally exclaiming, "The letter 'M'!"
The farmer smiled and allowed the chef to pick an apple. The friends were overjoyed as they all held their magic apples in hand, knowing that their adventure had led them to something truly special.
As they sat down to enjoy the best apple pie they had ever eaten, the chef turned to his friends and said, "Well, I guess you could say we really 'crunched' the numbers on this one!"
And they all laughed, knowing that they had stumbled upon a day they would never forget.