Fool Jokes in Skt lit [was: Arguing techniques]

[Koenraad Elst]

> > >Fosse wrote about:

> > >As a matter of curiosity, I wonder if there is such a thing as, say,
> > >Bengali/Punjabi/Tamil etc jokes in India
> > ....

Seems my last mail was sent before being written.

Anyway, at least since Kalidasa there are many Brahmin jokes.  Whereas in
Sardar jokes the subject is shown as simply stupid, here he is usually shown
as being stupid by trying to be clever.

Thus, when Namboodiri hears his friend's mother has died, he asks his own
mother what to say in condolence.  Following her advice, he tells his
friend: "She has been a mother to all of us."  Later, the friend's wife also
dies.  Having learned his lesson, he tells his friend: "She has been a wife
to all of us."

Yours sincerely,
Koenraad Elst