A Bishop had a dread of getting leprosy. He had read that the early signs are loss of feeling in the limbs, and was always pinching his legs, and if it hurt, he was reassured.

On one occasion at a dinner he reached under the table and pinched his leg. He couldn't feel a thing.  He pinched it again - harder this time. Still no sensation.

The Bishop visibly blanched and blurted out, " Oh, no ! I've got it ! "

" You've got what ? "

" I've got leprosy ! "

" But how do you know ? "

" Well, one of the early signs is loss of feeling in the leg. I've just pinched my leg twice and I didn't feel a thing ! "

A young lady sitting next to him remarked, " It was my leg you were pinching, Bishop. "