NOT SO FUNNY NOW.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10300, 3 November 1911, Page 1

NOT SO FUNNY NOW.

Mr Jinks settled comfortably in the morris chair, bit off the point of a I cigar, applied the match, then reached out ior tlie evening paper. He turned the leaves until he reached, the page always sought first in the newspaper—the page devoted to jokes. The first joke brought a smile, the second broadened it, and the third caused an uproarious guffaw that brought Mrs Jinks with a start out of her novel. "What is it, Jimmy?" " Oh, ha! ha ! It's a ease where the funny mitfi turns the tables 011 the farmer. ' Don't get eggs-— —■' Oh, ha 1 lia! That's a good one!" " Read it to me, Jimmy, please." "Sura. Listen now." "Farmer —Here's m.v plot of eggplants. " City Nephe,w—Av,\ whatcher givin' me I Think I don't know you get eggs from hens and not from plants? " Isn't that a beauty, Mary?'' " Why, I don't think there is anything funny in that." Mr Jinks looked his intense surprise. " Why, Mary, that's as rich as :t can be." It's always been the city man that was ignorant, and now here, in this joke, the farmer finds out that the mail from the-city ain't'so slow after all. Not wlien eggs sr© 40 cents per dozen, and the papers are telling us how to raiso laying hens." "That's all right, Jimmy 5 but where's the point to the joke?" " Where the Great Scott, Mary, don't you keep your ears opeji ? The farmer says ' Hero's my plot of eggplants,' thinking the city nephew is so green he don't know that eirgs come From the chickens. See, Mary?'' '•Well. 1 don't think that's funny." "You don't tli Jinks gasped. " Even alter I explained it? Say, aro all women like you? Say, by Jove!" lie exclaimed suddenly, getting up to punch a bell, "I'll jusb try that oil Bridget." Bridget responded promptly. Jinks beamed upon her. " Bridget, hero's a pretty good joke I just read." Bridget wasn't at all surprised', lor he had often come out in the kitchen to find appreciation for som©_ lunnv thine he had road or heard. Jinks believecl in passing the smile along. "Yis, sorr." "Listen carefully, Bridget." Jinks dtew the sheet taut, cleared his throat, then read, the joke carefully and delibi*rately. "Ain't that a funny one. though? Ain't it?"

"It is thot, son*. Shure, the young itifyew wor a green one.'' "Shure, the What?" Jinks ejaculated, letting th® naper fall to the floor in his amazement.

" Why, shure, sorr, the young man wor a green one not to know an eggplant." Mrs Jinks was tittering. Bridget was wondering perplexedly what she had gotten into. " Say, Bridget, are you trying to play this—this joke 011 me? Don't you think I know that eggs come from hens and not from plants?" Jiuksunconsciously repeated from the joke. " Well, 'tain't Oi as says they don't. But the esg-plant- 18 a vig-table, a big purple ball like an ess In shape, wob grows on a plant. Shure. mo fathergrows 'em in gar-r-djn. Ye don't see many in the city. They ain't growed much for mar-r-kit. Sure, thcy's the most de-licious thing. Ye fries ub in a batter till they're good an' brown." Jinks turned a bright-red face to his wife, whose head, however, was thrown backward in an uncontrollable fit of mirth. *

"Oh, dear, I'll surely die!" she gasped. " This is the best joke ever!"