A woman had 8 children, all of them boys.

So, one day a magazine sent a journalist to her house for an interview. He asked her about the boys and what their names were; she said,

โ€œJohnnieโ€.

โ€œRightโ€, he said, โ€œwhat about that blond one over there?โ€

โ€œJohnnieโ€, she said.

โ€œOh, and the tall one with the freckles?โ€

โ€œJohnnieโ€, she said.

โ€œWell, and the little chubby one with the baseball cap?โ€

โ€œJohnnieโ€, she said.

โ€œAre all your boys called Johnnie?โ€ he asked, โ€œIsnt that terribly complicated?โ€

โ€œNot at allโ€, she said, โ€œit makes everything very easy, actually.

When I shout: Johnnie, tea is ready!, they all come.

When I say: Johnnie, its time for bed!, they all go to bed.โ€

โ€œI see. But what if you want only one of them?โ€

โ€œNo problem.โ€ she answers. Then I call them by their surnames.โ€