FISHES AND FOOLS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22367, 2 April 1938, Page 19

FISHES AND FOOLS

April Jokes are not Confined to

England

(Specially Written for "The Pr THOSE who care to speculate on the use of the word fish in such deprecating phrases as silly fish, poor fish, and fishface, will find that the habit of crediting these creatures with few brains began long ago in France. For in that country in the days of old—-and perhaps even yesterday—it was the habit to label the least honoured among men, he who fell for an April 1 trick, “un poisson d’Avril.” But the tricks which made April fools or fishes of the people were not much different from the tricks that have been practised in England for a few centuries; in France as in England boys were sent on impossible errands, appointments were made and not kept, doorbells were rung and the ringer disappeared, blank letters were delivered, and absurd and unanswerable questions were asked. All the successful jokes brought peals of laughter and shouts of “poisson d’Avril!” just as in England they brought laughter and “April fool!” an! in Scotland laughter and “Gowk! Gowk!” It is natural that in Scotland’s cold weather the jokes should be of a more boisterous and busy kind, and we find that the most general one was that known as hunting the gowk—a term implying a fool, particularly an April one, but properly used to mean a cuckoo. This game is begun early in the morning by one who sends his young brother on an errand two miles off with a letter said to ask for information. The letter really contains the words, “This is the first day of April; hunt the gowk another mile.” And the second fooler complains that he has not the information required, but sends the poor gowk yet further along the road to find it; and so it

ss” by JACK POINT.] goes on till someone is charitable and sends the gowk no further on his way. Some French Tales Once in France April fooling saved the lives of an imprisoned nobleman and his wife who, disguised as peasants, escaped through the city gates at an early nour; they were seen and recognised by a woman, who ran to the guards and told of the escape. But the guards laughed and cried, “Poisson d’Avril!”. and the’ woman had to retreat in confusion amid the .shouts of all the soldiers and even of the officers. The joke went its way and came at last to the ears of the governor who scarcely began to laugh before he became suspicious. But the noble lord and lady had escaped far away by that time.

'On another occasion in France someone lost heavily by being made un poisson d’Avril. This was the woman who chose April 1 as the day for stealing a watch; when she was discovered she laughed a great deal and said it was merely un poisson d’Avril; so the judge said that she should be imprisoned until April 1 in the next year “comme un poisson d’Avril.” And we are not told of any more jokes she played. There is much doubt concerning the origin of this strange custom; it is said by some.that it came to be the fashion to hold April 1 as- a day for practical joking when the year used to end on March 25 and the week of festivities for the new year on Marcty 31; then April 1 was the fool’s day and no one received any more presents. So perhaps grew up the custom of sending empty parcels and the other tricks of this strange day.