Practical Jokes.

Feilding Star, Volume IV, Issue 27, 7 August 1883, Page 2

Practical Jokes.

■♦ Wb have amongst us one or two humorous individuals who are fond of displaying their wit and sense of the' ridiculous by plnying' what are commonly termed practical jokes .As we have ourselves a keen appreciation of " wit'an'd humor in all its developments, we sympathise with the jesters, and would like to give thain as much assistance as lies in our power, towards our mutual enjoyment, which we willdo, by narrating a few of then jests, and what may. turn out the crowning joke of. all! It wiis a 'merry thought that induced the witty fellow to'ride away on a 'gentli'riianVhorse;- said horse having' been left in a livery stable,' attached to a hoti'l; and -aft «'iv- tiring the poor beast by narcl riding, to hitch it up to a fence and

leave it to siand all night in the bitter cold. The saddle was left on.' charitably, but the stirrup leather-* and irons were removed to a snfe place, and an* now being taken care of by the merry jester. The owner is delighted with the joke, and woula like to reward the jester in a fitting manner by presenting him and his friends with n pnir of bracelets each from' the jeweller's shop kept by Mr Prick, in Eyre street. '■ nofher " hanpy- thought" is to let horses out of private paddocks by openiug the gate or letting down slip rails. It looks so utterly ftinuy to see owners of horses hunting about for their missing steeds, especially "when only the "■jokers" can tell where the horses have hidden themselves, and it, would spoil the fun altogether if their owners were told where to find them, unless enough money was paid beforehand by way of reward to the " k r ay br^s," who enjoyed life so thoroughly All the happy owners can do is smile and pay, and. perhaps the "joker" will ask his victim to share a " pot of ale" with him, with all that freehanded'liberality which so gracefully distinguishes the happy brotherhood: of jesters. Another funny aspect of this kind of joke is that the law holds a different opinion as to the point of the joke. In fact we believe that although our respected 11. M.. Mr Ward, is more than ordinarily gifted with a seriso-of the ludicrous, yet if these jokes? were narrated to him by our respected and energetic Constable, Mr Price, and supported by one or two bystanders, who would, with permission, repeat the yarn for liis "Worship's ccliiiccition ;i second, or even a third time., he would fail to sec it, and would seiul the jesters t.o Wanganui j for a spell of six m-.-.nllis, during which period they would be gently exercised on moderate diet, without receiving n'ny money as wiiges, but having comfortable sleeping appurinients provided at. the ospensp of their fellow ratepayers. Verbum sar>-