Hemmingway tells the story of no laughter
The old man had gone 82 days without a laugh.
But he had sworn that when he did laugh that he would laugh well and true and honorably.
The boy came by and said, “old man lets go to the comedy club, Gallagher is there tonight and that sledge-o-matic is always good for a few laughs.
The old man answered “no, Gallagher only brings up a few guffaws from the depths and guffaws are not honorable”. “It reminds me of the time I arm wrestled a large man in Thailand for 3 days without rest. That did not provide laughs either only grunts and strains, although it was done well and true and honorably”
The boy tried to goose the old man’s ribs to cause a laugh, the old man responded by falling asleep.
The boy belonged to a local comedy club and laughed regularly. His father did not like him hanging around the old man, bad juju. You could end up not laughing for more than 82 days.
But the boy liked the old man, the old man had once been known to belly laugh deeply and truly, but he had dropped a blue marlin on his foot and has not laughed since,
The boy decided to cause the old man laughter today. He painted the old mans feet blue, as he slept, then he fastened to his chest two large shells he found on the beach. Then using a sharpie marker he wrote, “Want to dance with a blue footed booby”.
When the old man awoke he did not notice the new accessories but went to drink his coffee at the local café so adorned.
This caused much laughter, some of which was the old mans.
He had gone 82 days without a laugh.
But he had sworn that when he did laugh that he would laugh well and true and honorably.
The boy came by and said, “old man lets go to the comedy club, Gallagher is there tonight and that sledge-o-matic is always good for a few laughs.
The old man answered “no, Gallagher only brings up a few guffaws from the depths and guffaws are not honorable”. “It reminds me of the time I arm wrestled a large man in Thailand for 3 days without rest. That did not provide laughs either only grunts and strains, although it was done well and true and honorably”
The boy tried to goose the old man’s ribs to cause a laugh, the old man responded by falling asleep.
The boy belonged to a local comedy club and laughed regularly. His father did not like him hanging around the old man, bad juju. You could end up not laughing for more than 82 days.
But the boy liked the old man, the old man had once been known to belly laugh deeply and truly, but he had dropped a blue marlin on his foot and has not laughed since,
The boy decided to cause the old man laughter today. He painted the old mans feet blue, as he slept, then he fastened to his chest two large shells he found on the beach. Then using a sharpie marker he wrote, “Want to dance with a blue footed booby”.
When the old man awoke he did not notice the new accessories but went to drink his coffee at the local café so adorned.
This caused much laughter, some of which was the old mans.
He had gone 82 days without a laugh.
