A certain country vicar who used to distribute books to his parishioners
as reading material, one day, deciding to surprise them, gave them each
a Bible neatly wrapped up in brown paper. A few days later he called
round on each of his flock, and the first place he called at was the
village butcher's.
"Well, Mr. Simson," he said, "how did you like that little book I gave
you the other day?"
Simson was rather taken aback at the query, for, truth to tell, the
little book still remained in its brown paper wrapping somewhere under
the counter.
"Splendid!" lied Simson bravely, "but," he added, in a burst of
confidence, "it ended like they all end."
"Oh!" exclaimed the vicar, "in what way?"
And Simson, thinking he was on safe ground, replied, "Why, they lived
happy ever after."
* * *
"Your wife looks stunning to-night. Her gown is a poem."
"What do you mean, poem?" replied the struggling author. "That gown is
two poems and a short story."
* * *