Joking on the Way to School

4

Victor and Sasha live in the same house. Every morning they meet in the yard and go to school together.

One day Victor says, “I’ve just finished reading a book about some friends who agreed to tell each other interesting stories.”

“Were those stories from books?”

“Not always. Sometimes they made up their stories themselves.”

“Listen!” said Sasha. “I don’t know about stories, it may be difficult, but I can tell you a lot of jokes. Let’s begin either today or tomorrow. Do you agree?”

“I can’t quite agree,” said Victor, “if you want to tell your jokes in Russian. I’ve read many jokes in English and I’m going to tell them in English too.”

“But I’m going to tell my jokes in English too,” said Sasha.

Next morning Victor was ready to tell his first joke. Here it is.

Mother: Johnny, I left two pieces of cake in the cupboard this morning; I see there is only one piece now. Where is the other? Can you tell me?

Johnny: It was too dark, Mummy. I could not see the other piece.

“Oh,” said Sasha. “Johnny was ready to eat two pieces of cake. Now listen to my joke.”

Mother asks her small daughter, who is reading a book: “What are you reading, dear?”

“I don’t know,” answers the girl.

“You don’t know? You are reading aloud, so you must know.”

“I am reading aloud, Mummy, but I am not listening,” the girl said.

The boys had no time to tell more jokes because they were at the school door. They were a little late for the lesson and the English teacher asked them why they were late.

“You see, Yelena Petrovna, we told each other jokes... In English...” said Victor.

“In English? I don’t think that’s bad. You may sit down.”