Once while travelling, Tenali Rama found himself in the company of a group of soldiers. They were all veterans of war, and soon they began talking about their experiences on the battlefield. One old soldier bragged, “I once single-handedly slew seven enemy soldiers.” Another proudly described how he had “held an entire enemy battalion at bay.” When they finished, they looked condescendingly at Rama. “I don’t suppose...

A man walks into an antique store and starts looking around. Suddenly, he notices a beautiful bronze statue of a Siamese cat. Man: “How much do you want for that statue?” Shop Owner: “It’s $200 for the statue and $2,000 for the story that goes with it.” Man: “I don’t care about the story. I’ll just take the statue.” As the man pays, the shop owner smiles. Shop Owner: “All right, but I guarantee you’ll be back for the...

The National Poetry Contest came down to two semifinalists: a Yale graduate and a redneck from Wyoming. They were given a single word and two minutes to study it and write a poem. The word was Timbuktu. First to recite his poem was the Yale graduate. He stepped up to the microphone and said: “Slowly across the desert sand Trekked a lonely caravan. Men on camels, two by two, Destination — Timbuktu.” The crowd went wil...