Ole and Lars were working for the city public works department in
Boyceville, WI. Ole would dig a hole and Lars would follow behind and
fill the hole in. They worked up one side of the street, then down the
other, then moved on to the next street, working furiously all day
without rest, one digging a hole, the other filling it in again.

An onlooker was amazed at their hard work, but couldn't understand
what they were doing. So he asked Ole, 'I'm impressed by the effort
you two are putting in to your work, but I don't get it -- why do you
dig a hole, only to have your partner follow behind and fill it up
again?'

Ole, the hole digger, wiped his brow and sighed, 'Vell, I suppose it
probably looks odd because ve're normally a three-person team. But
today Sven, who plants da trees called in sick.'