THE BOOK OF LAUGHTER.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 253, 23 February 1917, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE BOOK OF LAUGHTER.

EDWIN PUGH TELLS SOME GOOD

stories.

"To ar„iic about humour." says Mr. Edwin Pugh, "is to prove that you have none, ami one might as soon think of arguing with a Scotsman about the funniness or uuftuininess of a Joke as arguing with a London constable about the nrarost way to the Mansion House. In his amusing work, "A Book of F,aughter" (Palmer and Hayward}, Mr. Pugh lets us into the secret of what is wit and what is humour, and illustrates his theory with many droll stories.

His best is concerning two Scntch inmates of a lunatic asylum". They were working together in the gar Sen when tlu? notion struck them that now was their chance to escape. So, watching their opportunity, they waited untJ the keeper was out oT sight, and then made tracks for the nearest outer wall. "Nco bend doon, Sandy," sa'd one, ";md I'll clim' up your shouther to the top and then I'll gae ye a bond up tae." Sandy accordingly bent down. Tarn, mounting h : s lack! gained the top of the wall and, dropping over into safety on the, other side, shouud, as"he prepared to make off, 'Tm thinking, Sandy, you'd tatter tae bde anither fortnic-ht, for yore no near richt yet."

The author warns its that one cinnot be too careful even in these war times. " Where did all these l>ooks on astronomy come from, dear?" asked a gentleman of his wife one evening.

"A pleasant littlo surpr se for von, dearoot," re-pond, d the lady. "You remember you said this morning that we ought to .study astronomy. Well. F went and honjrht evcrv book on that subject I condl get hold of." "Jumping Jehoshophat!" cried the poor man. •• I never said we must study astronomy. 1 -aid we must b tndy oconoiuv."

* * * Some ,\ea:.s ;i<ro Kim had a monotonous series of wins against Harrow, and tho day alter their la-t d feat the Hur, row captain reeched the following e\ci'i ni.ly rude lines fn in an Kton [xiot: oi. yo biys o; Harrow School. ()l cricket \c have no knowledge. 11 is not. cricket, but the fool Von play against Eton College. To tiis -,i Harrow poet replied : Jf, as ;.ou -ay, wo played the fed, Xo wonder wo were beaten, J'or at that game no ot'icr scheol CoulJ e'er c omj etc with Eton. Mr. Puult one said to a rich iamhoiler's wife in "bis wittv way" : " Your husband i- a mart;, r to dyspepsia, I believe?" "Xot ex.ictlv," replied the long-suffering wife. "He has dvsj e sh all right, but I am t!:e martyr."

A French exquisite on e asked Alexandre Dumas, pore, who was a quadroon : " What was veur hither. Dunns:-- "My father. Vir," r.plied tho con romanticist, "was i> mulatto." "Indeed' and <.i,r i ranlfatber ?" -A negro, sir: .• negro!" answered D> mas. 11' spiv. " And— iwdon mo- vour ereat- ! rnndfither-" "Mv great-pramTFnther. -i'. came the ift response, "h;is an aie. sir: ,-n ape! My pedigree whore your* c nds."