Querulous Quandaries:

 I've not had one this funny in a while.  Christmas & gas bills always brings them out. Remember high school chemistry, folks.  

A man comes in the store with a box

(me) Hi, Can I help you? 

(man) Yeah, I want to sell these candlesticks here.

(me) Well, lets see them. 

He takes out 3 or 4 pair of modern brass candlesticks. 

(me) I'm sorry, I can't use them. They're too new for me.  Pretty but they won't sell. 

(man) But these are special! 

(me) Oh, how so? 

(man) Well my great great grandfather in the 1800's owned a brass mine. And there were made from brass taken from that mine.  They're made by hand from a famous craftsman. 

(me).  Sorry but that can't be.  Brass can't be mined. 

(man) WHY THE HELL NOT!  He owned a mine and this is from there. 

(me) Brass is an alloy. 

(man) What's that? 

(me) An alloy is a mixture of metals. Its created by man.  In this case its copper and zinc.  Copper and zinc make brass. 

(man)  So they not old?  

(me) No, I'm sorry. They might be from the 1950's or there about, but they aren't really very old.  I'm not sure about the craftsman part either, as all of them are machine made. 

(man) Well, let me ask you this...  

He glances around like someone might over hear him.  

(man)  Who made the copper and zinc??

(me)  God, I'd say. 

Nodding his head with eyes closed. 

(man)  That's what I thought.  Thank you. 

 And off he went.  So I guess, that he went off to speak with God over the fabrication of brass.   

Its always something.