The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-12-17
SPANISH HUMOR.
Bright and Ready Repartee OF the People
Their skill In storytelling.

entertaining Won IN MalTll. DOAtJDau
OF Cadiz. a major at Seville. everyone
has fund OF anecdotes and repartee
Find fault with your Spanish servant
and hr quotes a pTpvcTl. which l. either
so appropriate TO the subject at haui og
at least 80 in-cuinusly appropriate that
he turns Your ~cuIdinc into a laugh
In general conversation a SpauI5ri IN.
troduccs aS many stories a. AL ITishman.
and however old an auecdote may l- -
is listened to with interest. Tn" lest %
success is the manner Of the stuTy-tvlirT.
more than what he rccouuts. AMI he
SrrkS rather TO raise a laugh over a thrice
told tale than to invent novelties When
personal adventures form the subject of
narration. careful adherence 10 truth
is not deemed necessary.
have heard a man keep a whole party
amused for hours 10y TeCOuntiuE advcn-
turrS worthy u Don QuiXote or Baron
MuuchauScn Everyone hung or his
words applauded laughed, and enCouT-
aged him To continue
When he had taken his departure and
I remarked ou the extraordinary nature
of his experiences. / was met by the
cool remark, Mcntira.' 90 Lies 90 and
perceived that no one believed a word Of
his stories. hut that the spirit and wit
with which he had described all these
imaginary scenes had won the interest
and applause OF the whole company
Medical science Is at q very low ebb In
Spain and the Spaniards are never weary
OF cracking jokes on doctors lie SAGE
makes Gil Bias say: " In this village !
caught a fever, but as there was no
doctor in the place, l soon recov.
cred"
Spaniards will not allow that lie Sage
really wrote Gil Bias, but declare re only
translated the work OF some unknown
Spaniard; they say no foreigner could
have hit OF so well the national char
actcristics.
There Is a Spanish print which rep
rcscuts two men in bed One Is supposed
To be Il sick man. the other his disease.
beside the bed stands the doctor blind
folded. LAYING about hjtu vigorously with
a thick stick. The man aud his illness
get beaten iudi~criminat"ly till one ur
the ut her SuCCumbs This too we'll H.
lu-trutcs the violent AMI haVhazard
treatment Spanish doctors give their
unlucky patients.
The vice Of avaTiCe is very unpopular
in Spain, the people being naturally ex-
travagantaud C5teutatiouS.
Tho following story T. a iavOTIte, and "a
comparison OF its moral with that 81
Frcuch stories on the same theme. shows
the vast gulf that lies between the ways
OF thought Of those neighbCUiug
A rich man married his four daughters,
giving each one a large dowry. year
later he went 10 see thcm.
" How are you getting along, asked
he or the nr7t.
=. Father" answered she. " since nv
husbnuI has had money he has taken 20
gambling; he nrgiects ne and does
nothing but play
Don't distress yourself" said her
father: in that way tho money viii
soon be spent. then ne will have TO
work, and YOU will 10th he happy
He went on to his -ncoud daughter.
who auswerci crying That her husband
was always falling in love. auI spent
all her money in Civin. presents.
q" Be easy" said the father, when
tho money is gone he can give no more
presents he will have 20 work and viii
settle down into good husband
The third daughter complained that
her husband had taken to drinking. and
passed his life in tavaTuS.
Walt till he has To work for his
money; he will then have nothing to
spare for f1llieS. and YOU Will he happy "
replied the father. nsymPathctiaailv.
and he went on TO his last daughter
She lamented bitterly over her husbands
eyaTice; he would not give her n far.
thing, and nearly starved her.
Alas my poor. little one" cried
he embracing her; &c child OF my heart,
l see no end 10 thy misery
There is also the story OF the miser
who fell into a river.
peasant seeing that the current
would carry him away, held out his
hand. crying:
Give me your hand"
Give he had never done such a thing
n his life, and would sooner die than
begin.
Luckily for him. the stream carried
him close to fisherman. who said d.
My man. take my hand"
As soon as il wa- question Of taking
II was all right aud he was saved.
Though the Spaniard is generally az
he was in the days OF Ava he does not
mind making many Jokes which strict
people might consider irrcverent but
though he does so himself q foreigner
must be careful how he approaches the
subject Of religion FOR he Is Ike a
mother who will complain OF her own
spoilt child. but be mortalIy offended u
any one else presumes to find fault
with it.
Most people have heard the story oi
the brigand who went to confession. a
Spanish brigands do. and who seeing a
little silver box in the sleeve OF the
priest relspsed and stCleit
e accuse myself father" said he
Immediately, " Of having stolen o
box"
Well. my son. you must restore 1t.
" Would you like II. Father"
IL no" replied the confessOr Of
ended at the suggestion
The thing Is resumed the penitent
that have offered It TO Its owner and
be has refused it
Oh then 10 that case. my son. you
have done ell that Is necessary and
may keep u with clear conscience
Spaniard alwaye has an answer
ready, u not good one at any rate one
which leaves bis questionsr apparently
In the wrong.
Tho followlng is an instance Of this
sort Of reckless Tepartee
priest was catechisinC som 2 children.
and while speaking Of the miracle OF the
lOaves and fishes said by mistake that
five thousand leaves just suf1iced for five
And did they not burst7" asked an
Irreverent boy hoping TO raise laugh
at his instructors expense
No" replied the priest, promptly,
therein lay the miracle "
Spanish wit Is seldom malicious and
there Is such spontaneous chill-hk" en-
jovment Of joke among the Fcupl" hat
il i barely possible t. avoid Joining Ia
the laugh. even when it has been raised
at your expense
To be able TO take joke g0od-humor-
edly is a sure way TO win popularity, and
one | would recommend visitors not to
neglect. for upon it depends much cf the
Measure of a sojourn in this most in
teresting country BrCoAlyG Magazine.
- YrHfounded Reporf
Professor SuOrc, Of the University o
/ Texas. is such a learned man that he has
continual spells of Observation-Disclosures.
Il am glad to see you. Why, ther,
/ was a report all over town that YOU wcr,
/ dead. said one of the students to him
/ few days ago.
! Won don't toll roa eO -