File spoon-archives/marxism-international.archive/marxism-international_1997/97-03-18.151, message 50


Date: Mon, 17 Mar 1997 11:43:36 -0600 (CST)
From: Dennis Grammenos <dgrammen-AT-prairienet.org>
Subject: M-I: Another joke... 


Zeynep reminded me of another joke.

So, Hodja leaves the village for the big city. While he is gone he has 
his brother (the local jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none ne'er-do-well) 
take care of the farm and Hodja's family.

A few days later, Hodja calls from the big city.  There seems to be some 
trouble with the phone and he then calls at the village coffee shop.  The 
proprietor fetches Hodja's brother who comes to the phone shaking and 
sobbing, and with a trembling voice says a meek "hello" to Hodja before 
collapsing into hysterical crying.

Hodja is alarmed and fearing for the worst as soon as there is a bit of a 
break in the brother's crying he manages to ask:

- Petros, what is the matter, why are you carrying on like this?

The brother sobs into the phone and replies ever with that trembling voice:

- Ahhh! Hodja, my beloved brother! I am afraid that I have some really, 
really bad news for you.  I broke your good shovel!

Relieved, Hodja tries to console him:

- That's OK Petros!  There is no harm done! Who cares about the silly ol' 
shovel!  I'll bring another one from the market on my way back. But tell 
me Petros, how did you break the shovel?

More sobbing.

- I broke it digging a hole.

- A hole? What for?

- To bury your dog.

- Oh heavens! My dog? My poor dog! What a pity! What happened, Petros?

- He was killed!

Hodja is trembling.

- My dog was killed? Who killed him?

Petros takes a deep breath.

- Nobody killed him, Hodja.  He was crushed by a beam that fell from the 
roof of the barn.

- My barn? Why did the beam fall?

- The barn was on fire and the beam fell on the poor dog and crushed him!

- Petros, Petros, Petros! My barn was on fire? What a disaster! How come?

- Well, Hodja, the barn caught on fire when the wind blew the flames onto 
it from the roof of your house!

- Oh! No! My house was on fire??? Oh! what a disaster!

Petros is crying, Hodja is shaking in pain.

- How did the house catch on fire, Petros?

- It was because of all the candles! The fire spread to the curtains and 
before we knew it the house was engulfed with fire!

- Oh heavens! What a disaster! I have lost my dog, I have lost my 
barn, I lost my house!!!  But, Petros, candles? What candles? What were you 
doing lighting candles inside the house?!!  What's wrong with you Petros?

- Ahhh! Hodja, my dear brother!   We had to use candles! What kind of a 
wake would it have been without candles?

- Wake? Wake?!  Whose wake?

Petros breaks out in more crying. Hodja is besides himself.

- Hodja, it was a wake for your poor wife who passed away!



Comradely regards,
Dennis Grammenos




     --- from list marxism-international-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---


   

Driftline Main Page

 

Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005