JOKES AND JOKERS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 500, 14 September 1912, Page 7

JOKES AND JOKERS.

OF INTEREST TO THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO SEE THE VALUE OF LIVING IN THIS FUNNY WORLD. "There's one thing I thought 1 knew, but I find I don't know," said Tommy. "What is a joke ?" Father pricked up his ears, as it were. "A joke," he said, slowly, "is something its maker thinks is funny, but nobody else does."

"That explains it, then. To-day I said a n awful quaint thing. Mother bad a lot of women here, and they talked about clothes. I said, 'A woman's mind is always on clothes. When she ain't talking through hei hat she's laughing up her sleeve.' But no one laughed ; and I read that one, too. Tell me a joke." "If I were to say, when I came home from visiting the cemetery, that I had returned from the dead, that would be a joke." "Is that a practical joke ?" "It is not • it is a grave joke."

"What's a practical joke ?" "If your mother, just before going out shopping, asked for money and I gave her all she wanted." "Do you like practical jokes ?" "Not when they're as practical as that." "Does everyone like jokes?" "Pew people do. Most people think it is more blessed to giv< than to receive." "Then people can't take a joke ?'' "There are some who can't. Bdi tors, for instance, rarely take a joke."

"Does anyone make money frorr the writing of jokes ?" "Only the papermakers and the postal department of the Government."

"Must a joke be funny to be t joke ?" "Pew are." "Then some are serious ?" "Not exactly. But if you refer to a sexton as a man of grave caret some might think you intended to b< jocular." "Is a pun like a Jo ke ? " "Nothing at all. A man whc makes a joke is an idiot ; whereas £ man who makes a pun is a criminal. "Then the man who writes whal he thinks are jokes is a funny fellow ?" "No; it is. a serious business witl him." "He has his ups and downs, then ? "Yes ; he gets up courage to writt to editors, and gets turned down bi them."

"'You're not referring to the mai who writes the column in the papers every day ? Surely life in one jok< with him."

"No, it isn't. He thinks he's j humorist, but he's a pessimist." "Can a man write jokes and stil be a gentleman ?"

"You forget, Tommy, that our remarks are intended for publication and that I have many friends wh( write. Besides, I sometimes get oi a joke or two myself.''•—''Washingtoi