National Humour.

Te Aroha News, Volume XVII, Issue 22514, 29 March 1902, Page 3

National Humour.

Very curious is the 1 national developement of humour. How far away is the old world troll of Norway froiu the cute humour of the Yankee-! The one a cool and almost impudent unfolding 1 of a story, quietly leading up to its climax; the other a sudden spring of til'd Oil tilflt S6OIU& to u&rt upon you from round the corner. Here is a story from Norway.. A boy one day uas going on his way, when ho chanced to pick up a hazel nut in the shell of which a little worm had bored its hole. With a sly wink of his eye he put it into his pocket and waited, knowing that his opportunity would come. Some time afterwards the boy met the Devil dressed as a gentle man. The boy knew him,. and was cguick to avail himself of the chance of trying an experiment.. Ho to <k the nut from his poket, and r going up to the Devil said: ‘Sir, I’ve heard 1 that the Devil can creep into a hole as small as that; 1 1 don’t believe it, do you t 1 ’ "‘I am sure he can, ’ said the gentleman. ‘I dou’t think he c >uld,’ said the boy cooly. ‘I am sure he can,’ was the reply ‘Show me then,’ cried the youth, with a defiant kind of air. , Thereupon the Devil proceeded to

creep through the hole, and in a moment was safe in the nut. Then instantly the boy thrust a tight-fbtin ' bit "f wood in the hole, and cut itev n j with the '.ut. He marched off to the { nearest blacksmith’s shop, and looked J in at the door. ‘You can’t crack that nut,’ said the youth in an impudent way. ‘What nonsense,’ said the smith, ‘l’ll crack it with my fingers ’ But it was. in vain that he to >k it with his huge hands, and strlined his utmost. The boy chuckled. “ I knew you couldn’t.” “ I’ll do it with my teeth, anyhow,” said the blacksmith angrily, and he put the nut iu his mouth, and squeezed his massive jaws, again in vain. “ It is a tough one, indeed,” he said. “I knew it was,” said the boy. “ Then I’ll do it with this,” said the smith, taking up a little hammer, wi h which he gave it the lightest of taps. “ That won’t do it,” said the boy. The blucksmith, now thoroughly angry, brought all hi* strength \o b>'ar upon it. Still the nut lay uftbrofcon. You won’t do it,” said the boy. “ Won’t I,” roared the blacksmith, in a rage, “ w • will see.” He s-t the nut on the anvil. Then lifting up a great sledge hammer, jie threw it, over his shoulder, and brought it down with a terrific whack. Then C'tno an explosion. The roof was bl >wn off the smithy. The walls were b.own down. As the blacksmith picked himself up out of the ruins he said : “Th > Devil must hnvo been in that nut.” 4t He was,” said the boy.

AN AMERICAN SPECIMEN.

Now it is well to sot this quaint story along wiih one £ have heard,, thoroughly characteristic of the American species. It was of two commercial travellers who met at an hotel. “ What line are.you in, stranger ?” asked one. “•Waal!, I represent a firm that matiuf tctures safos.” “Ah’ Well, lam really sorry for yon. I guess von had better clear out, for I'm in hat line myself, audit’s very well known that our firm licks creation in the matter of safes. ’ “Sir,” said he, thrusting his thumbs in his arm-holes, and swelling himself out to the utmost; “sir, you surely can’t be aware of the fact that we re cently subjected one of our safes to the severest tests on record. We took that safe, sir, and put inside of it twenty thousand dollars in American bonds. And besides them bonds, we put a little dog. We surrounded that safe with a mass of combustible material, so that it was nine days before we could approach the door to open it, and —when —we—opened—that-—door - what —do—you—think—sir “ Well, I guess your little dog barked,” said the other, unmoved. “ He did, sir; he just came out smiling awagging his little tail, and he just barked.” “ Waall,” said the other, “ we heard of that experiment you tried with your safe, and we thought we would test one of ours in similar conditions. We put in that safe as you say twenty thousand dollars in American bonds. To avoid the appearance of a slavish imitation, we put in a little bantam cock. We surrounded the safe with a mass of combuslible material. You are quite correct, sir, in your statement, it was nine days exactly before wo could approach the door to open it, and—when —we — opened that door sir—what —do—you—think ?” “ Well. I guess your little cock crew.” “ Ho did not, sir, he just couid’nt That little bantam cock were froze solid.’ In complete contrast with this is the Irish humour, a very distinct variety, which carries a great laugh in its heart. It was in the streets of Dublin. Pat had indulged a little t>o freely in the national beverage, and came gaily along his way, keeping to the straight line ns fairly as he could. He chanced to pass a watchmaker’s shop where the good man, with his glass in his ; eye. bent over the works of a watch, A pane of glass that was set upon a hinge for the sake of ventilation, was thrown back, wide open. Pat thrust in. his head, and looking down upon the watchmaker, said, “ Och, euro, can yo honour, can ye- tell me What . clock it is 1 ’’ The watchmaker picked up a stick ; at his side, and gave Pat a crack on his head. “There,’ ha said, ‘ 1 think it has just struck one,’ Pat drew out his head, and rubbed it. ‘By jabbers,’he cried, ‘ I'mglad thin I didn’t come an hour ago.’