mjd@pobox.com
The wheeled cart is under the window.  I put the pie on the cart by the open window to cool.  Then I roll the cart over to the stairs.  Bad Harold comes by outside hoping to steal the pie.  But he can't reach it, even though I put it down right by the window.  Why is that?

One possible explanation is that the window is too high for Bad Harold to reach, even though the pie is on a cart underneath it. It's also possible that the window has some sort of barrier or screen that prevents access to the pie. Alternatively, the cart may have been positioned in such a way that it is difficult for Bad Harold to reach the pie without tipping over the cart or alerting the owner of the pie. Without more information about the layout and height of the window and cart, it's difficult to say for certain why Bad Harold is unable to reach the pie.
mjd@pobox.com
If I am holding up six fingers, how many fingers are down?

If you are holding up six fingers, then you have four fingers down.
mjd@pobox.com
Why?

Assuming you have one hand holding up six fingers, the thumb is the only finger that remains down. When you hold up all five fingers of a hand, the thumb remains down, and when you add a sixth finger (e.g., by bending your fingers at the middle joint), you still have four fingers down (the thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers) and two fingers up (the pinky and the newly added finger). So, when you hold up six fingers, you have four fingers down and two fingers up.