Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-02
CHINESE WIT AND HuMoR.
Tho CeiestIals Can Appreciate Fun, ~
May Be Seen In a 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
d. atdires of China at Paris, has recent
ly published n translation of some OF
these Chinese jests. Many of them are
very comical, possessing even in trans
lation, peculiarly dry humor, and
some of them prove that jokes, ana an
ecdotes we'll known ia the West are
also classic in China.
There is, for instance, the very
familiar story of the nervous man who
lived between two blacksmiths-only
in this Chinese version one of them is
a coppersmith! The nervous man tries
to induce the two noisy artisans to
move, and one day they announce that
they have made arrangements to do so.
Overjoyed, the man treats them to a
magnificent dinner and after they have
partaken of it the blacksmith informs
him that he is going to move into the
coppersmith'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 his little grandson, bringing him
many presents and indulging all his
caprices.
One day the old man was asked why
he was so very good to the child of
the undutiful son who beat him so
cruelty.
"Sh!" said the old man; ''I'm spoil
ing him, so that he'll beat his father
when he grows up!'
According to another story, a miser
had three sons-in-law; one was tailor
another q 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 here! Your two brothers-in-
law are thrifty men, and are gradually
adding to the family fortune; the tailor
by cabbaging iittle of his customers
cloth now and then, you know-bless
you. they don't know it!-and the
jeweler-well, by debasing the jewelry
just little, don't you see: But your
exclaimed the miser, what do you
dopp
"Father-in-law, said the never-do-
we'll, you say well. Give me crow
bar; will go out, and, watching my
chance, | will break In merchants
doors, open their tills, and bring you
back thousands of pieces of silver
where my brothers-in-law bring you
only paltry gains.
What! How?" exclaimed the miser,
in terrible anger; lean it be possible
that you would actually be u theft"
Here is a story of man and wife
which is of the same type as 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.
Il should like to do So" said the
other, "but have an important duty
at nome ut this hour which must at
tend to-"
What is itp"
why, you see, my wife expects me
to empty her foot-tub for her."
WHAT exclaims the host; "you a
man, and allow yourself to be COM
manded in such a service by woman?
Who ever heard of such thing? I'll
tell you what should do in such a
case; should"
well, what would you do?" said his
wife, calmly, who had entered the
room cnobserved
why, l should run right off and
empty her foot-tub. Oh. yes, yes-I
should start right Off, Youths Conn
DdniOH.