The answer to mine is apparently, "Because the higher the fewer." The Countess was very fond of those sorts of brain-twisters!
Meanwhile...
Two French Foreign Legionnaires are lost in the desert. They've been wandering for days without food and water, and are nearly resigned to death from dehydration, when as they reach the top of a sand dune to see a big market before them. Naturally they can't believe their eyes and think it's a mirage, but as they draw closer, they can hear the merchants’ cries, and they reach the market to realise that it's really there.
So the Legionnaires rush up to the first stall they can and cry to the stall-holder, "Stall-holder, we have been travelling in the desert for many days, and have had no food or water. We shall surely die soon unless you have some sustenance you can sell us." The stall-holder shakes his head. "I'm sorry, French Foreign Legionnaire type persons, but all I have to sell are bowls full of jelly and cake, topped with custard and cream, and lovingly sprinkled with hundreds and thousands."
The legionnaires look at each other, mildly surprised, and move on to the next stall, where they ask the merchant, "Mr. purveyor of fine foodstuffs and the like, we have been travelling through the desert for days, deprived of the necessary beverages and foodstuffs which are required for survival. We shall surely die soon, unless you can sell us some skins of water." The merchant looks at them, embarrassed. "Gentlemen, tragic as I admit it is, I have none of the ingredients necessary to life for which you ask. All I have to sell are these large bowls of jelly and cake topped with custard and cream and sprinkled with hundreds and thousands, each with a little cherry in the middle at the top - there" (points to a glace cherry). "I cannot help you."
The Legionnaires look at each other in desperation, and run on to the next stall. "Look mate" (all formality having been forgotten) "we need water or we'll die. We've been travelling without water for days and need some now. Do you have any you can sell us?" The merchant looks at his curl-ended shoes in shame. "Sorry, fellas, all I have to sell you are bowls of jelly and cake with custard, cream and hundreds and thousands. I can't help you. I'll have to condemn you to a long and lingering death through dehydration."
The legionnaires go through the market, stall by stall, asking each stall-holder whether they had any water they could sell them and thus save their lives. Each merchant gives the same reply, all they have to sell are bowls of jelly and cake with cream, custard and hundreds and thousands.
Dejected and resigned to their grim fate, the legionnaires leave the desert market and walked off into the setting sun. One turns to the other and said, "That was really odd - a big market in the middle of nowhere, and all they sell is bowls of jelly and cake with custard, cream and hundreds and thousands."
The other shrugs. "Yes, it was a trifle bazaar."
