You need a furniture store salesman and a customer who knows what is happening. Before the
salesman can sell anything, he needs stock. Call for volunteers from the audience: four to lie down to
make the rug; three to crouch as the couch; one or two chairs; a lamp; and most important, one good-natured fellow to get down on all fours as the coffee table. When all are ready, a customer enters and
asks to see a couch. The salesman shows him the furniture, extolling its high quality and low price. He
pays particular attention to the coffee table: beautiful, sturdy, mark and mar-proof, etc.
The customer shows some interest. The salesman pats and wiggles the coffee table to show how firm
and steady it is, then picks up a cup (empty) and says something like, "See this cup of water? Pretend
it's coffee. When it sits on this table, you know it will never spill!" He places the cup between the
shoulder blades of the coffee table and jiggles it gently. "See!" The customer says he'll think about it
and leaves. The dejected salesman dismisses all the furniture except the coffee table and leaves. The
coffee table tries to figure out how he will get up without spilling what he thinks is a cup of water all over
himself. Cheer him on!