A lot of boys and girls in western countries are wearing the same kind of clothes, and many of them have long hair, so it is often difficult to tell whether they are boys or girls.

One day, an old gentleman went for a walk in a park in Washington, and when he was tired he sat down on a bench. A young person was standing on the other side of the pond.

“My goodness!” the old man said to the person who was sitting next to him on the bench. “Do you see that person with the loose pants and long hair? Is it a boy or a girl?”

“A girl,” said his neighbor. “She’s my daughter.”

“Oh!” the old gentleman said quickly. “Please forgive me, I didn’t know that you were her mother.”

“I’m not,” said the other person, “I’m her father.”