The Oral Tradition: Remembering Donald

I recently had a ditty going through my head that harked to a family member who had a fine repertoire of word-play.  Wit, humor of the G-rated, family-oriented variety, was important to him whether he might decide to recite something when guests came to dine or when a child was working on her mashed potatoes.  Some of these, in turn, were repeated from his own childhood in an English-speaking Canadian household.  The humor magazine Punch was well thought of there.  Edward Lear was often quoted. Lewis Carroll.  The humor harked more to 19th century Britain than to 20th century North America and did not have what I might call a contemporary edge.  Though irony certainly had its place. 

His periodic repetition of these little limericks, nonsense word plays, jokes did not detract from them.  He used to say that jokes, like wine, got better with age.  In fact, they seemed to.  So that now when one comes to mind, I can still chuckle over it.  I can remember the twinkle he'd get as he was reciting it.  The amused looks of those who were listening.

Some lines from Punch were part of the repertoire.  "Her hair's her crown and glory and oughtn't to be tampered with" as one char said of another whose coif looked as if it had never seen a comb.

He liked to come up with his own witticisms, as well, saying, "Shampoo is better than real poo" and "Champagne is better than real pain."

He loved the Dr. Doolittle books and said that Dr. D. was the supreme scientist--who, when capsized, reached for first, and thus saved, his scientific journals.

He once copied limericks into a little black notebook.

The Reverend Henry Ward Beecher
Called a hen a most elegant creature.
The hen, pleased with that
Laid an egg in his hat
And thus did the hen reward Beecher.

A young man named Fiddle from Brie
Intended a preacher to be
But he shouted "Nay Nay"
When he found out one day
That he then would be Fiddle, D.D.

There was a young lady named Bright
Whose speed was much faster than light.
She set out one day
In a relative way
And returned on the previous night.

Then he told the story about a train conductor approaching a passenger carrying a turtle.  In explaining the cost of transporting animals, the conductor said, "Cats is dogs and birds is dogs, but this here turtle's an insect and there ain't no charge for it."

Goofy, silly, funny, amusing, corny, punny. 

He liked to say, "If you get there first, make a blue line.  If I get there first, I'll rub it out."  Or, he'd tell of the time a salesman came to his door and he told the man, "I can't buy anything; I'm illegible," at which the man looked startled and promptly left.

With what would have been his birthday coming up this week, I put this out into the ethers.