A Lunatic's Joke.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1823, 18 December 1875, Page 5 (Supplement)

A Lunatic's Joke.

The superintendent of an insane asylum in France, while passing through the wards recently, noticed a man of very inoffensive appearance sobbing in his bed like a child. ' My poor friend, what is the matter?' inquired the physician. ' Ah, sir,' said the lunatic, ' my next neighbour has played me a sad trick, fie concealed my knife, and I have been looking for it two hours without being able to find it.' Then, he added, with a smile, childlike and bland,' But I will play him a fine trick in return.' ' That's all right.' said the superintendent consolingly, patting him on the shoulder as he passed on. Two days • later, the superintendent chanced to walk through the same room early in the morning. His insane friend stopped him and said, ' I have found my knife again, and have played that trick on my comrade, as I told you I should do.' ' How is that ?' ' While he was asleep I hid his head.' ' This man is very crazy, thought th<s superintendent; theu he asked: ' And what did you do with it then ?' ' I put it in the lineu closet ; but you need not tell him,' was the answer. The physician walked mechanically to the closet, opened the door and looked in. The head of the lunatic's Gomrade was there.