The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1890-06-20
CHINESE WIT AND HuMos.
The Ceiestiais Can Appreciate Fun. ss
May Be Seen In Few Selected Jokes.


The Chinese have large volume
called the Book of Laughter, which
contains full selection OF anecdotes
and jests current In the Middle King
dom. General Cheng- -Ki-Tong. charge
q apafres of China at Paris. has recent
" published translation Of some OF
these Chinese jests. Many of them are
very comical. possessing even Ia trans
lation. peculiarly dry humor. and
some OF them prove that jokes and an
eedotes well known in the West are
also classic la China
There IL. for instance, the very
familiar story of the nervous man who
lived between two blacksmiths-onIy
In this Chinese version one OF them is
a eoppersmth! The nervous man tries
10 induce the two noisy artisans TO
move. and one day they announce that
they have made arrangements TO do so.
Dverjoyed. the man treats them To a
magnificent dinner. and after they have
paftaken of IL the blacksmith informs
him that he is going to move into the
coppcrsmith's shop. and the copper
smith into his.
Less familiar Is the story of worthy
old man who was numerically beaten,
at regular intervals, by his undutiful
son. This cruel treatment did not pre-
vent the man from lavishing caresses
on bis little grandson. bringing him
many presents and indulging all his
caprices-
One day the did man was asked why
he was so very good to the child Of
the undutiful son who beat him SO
cruelty.
''Shl'' said the old man; "rm spoil
ing him. so that he'll beat his father
when he grows upi'
According to another story, a miser
had three sons-in-law; one was a tailor,
another a jeweler, and the third a
spend-thrift. who did nothing at all.
One day the miser called the third SON.
in-law and said to him:
''See herel Your two brothers-in-
law are thrifty men, and are gradually
adding to the family fortune; the tailor
by eabbaging "A little of his customers
cloth now aud then. you know-bless
you. they don't know itl-and the
ieweler-well. BY debasing the jewelry
just little. don't you see: But youi''
exclaimed the miser. what do you
doP''
"Father-in-law. said the never-do-
well. You say well. Give me crow
bar; will go out and. watching nv
cHauces L VIII break IN merchants
doors, open their tills. and bring YOU
back thousands of pieces of silver
where my brothers-in-Iaw bring you
only paltry gains"
.'Whatl How7" exclaimed the miser.
In terrible anger; ''can it be possible
that you would actually be a thief?''
Here is a story of man and wife
which is of the same type as a good
many that have been told in Western
: countries:
A man urges his neighbor. who had
! been visiting him of an afternoon, to
stay to supper.
II should like to do So" said the
\ other. ''5ut have an important duty
at home at this hour which must at
tend
What is it7"
''Why. you see, my wife expects me
I TO empty her foot-tub for her.-f
''Nhati" exclaims the host; .'you q
/ man. and allow yourself to be COM
manded in such a service by a womans ?
Who ever heard of such thing? I'll
/ tell you what should do in such q
I case; i should"
We'll. what would You do?- said his
wife. calmly. who had entered the
room uuobserved.
why. should run right of and
empty her foot-tub. Oh. yes. yes-I
should start right Off, YOUTHS Conn
I DdlliOf.