"A man took his two children to tea at Neiman Marcus. The chocolate chip cookies that arrived with their tea were simply delicious, so the man asked the waiter if it were possible for him to have a copy of the recipe.

 

"'Yes, indeed, sire," said the waiter, "But there is a charge of three ninety-five for it."

 

"'Fine," said the man. "Just add it to our bill."

 

"The waiter brought a copy of the recipe, and later, the bill arrived. The man was stunned to realize that by ‘three ninety-five,' the waiter had meant three hundred and ninety-five dollars, not the $3.95 he had expected.

 

"The man summoned the waiter and explained the misunderstanding. "Here's the recipe," he said. "It's far more expensive than I can afford."

 

"'Oh, I'm sorry, sir," said the waiter, "But I can't take it back now. You've already seen it, and that means you've enjoyed the benefit of it."

 

"The man left and eventually did have to pay the full three hundred and ninety-five dollars. In retaliation for what he saw as an unfair trick, he decided to make the recipe available for free to as many people as possible. At first he made copies on paper, but now the Internet has made his mission easy, and the fabled recipe is online for everyone in the world to enjoy FREE, no strings attached!"

 

That's the story as Ron Gillentine of Pasadena, California, heard it, and he says the recipe really is the best one he's found. "Of course, I have improved on it," he adds.

 

Want to try Ron Gillentine's Urban Legend Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies? Click here for the recipe!