The drunк was floundering down the alley carrying a box with holes on the side.
He bumped into a friend who asked,
"What do you have in there, pal?"
"A mongoose."
"What for?"
"Well, you know how drunк I can get.
When I get drunк I see snakes, and I'm scared to death of snakes.
That's why I got this mongoose, for protection."
"But," the friend said,
"You idiот!
Those are imaginary snakes."
"That's okay," said the drunк, showing his friend the interior of the box, "So is the mongoose."