If you’re like most of our readers (moan), you’re probably wondering (groan) why I’m moaning and groaning so much. Well, the reason is I’ve got a really bad toothache.
‘Hi, Andy,’ says Terry, prancing towards me with a couple of lambs by his side. ‘What a lovely day it is in our beautiful sunny meadow full of buttercups, butterflies and bluebirds!’
‘No, it’s not,’ I say. ‘It’s a terrible day! I’ve got the most aching toothache in the world!’
Q What time do you go to the dentist?
A Two-thirty.
‘Hey, that reminds me of a joke,’ says Terry. ‘What time did the boy go to the dentist?’
‘I don’t know and I don’t care!’ I say. ‘My tooth is hurting!’
‘That’s right,’ he says, laughing. ‘Two-thirty. Get it? Tooth-hurty. Just like you!’
‘Yes, I get it,’ I say.
‘Then why aren’t you laughing?’
‘Because my tooth is hurting too much! It’s hard to laugh when I’m in so much pain.’
‘That’s too bad,’ says Terry, ‘because I love jokes! I reckon we should write a whole book of them.’
‘I’d love to,’ I say, ‘but with this toothache I just don’t feel funny enough to write jokes. In fact, I’m not sure I even feel funny enough to write this book.’
Q If life gets tough, what do you have that you can always count on?
A Your fingers.
‘But we have to write this book,’ says Terry. ‘Otherwise, Mr Big Nose will get mad!’
‘I know,’ I say. ‘I just don’t know how we’re going to do it. This toothache is killing me.’
‘Hey, look up there in the sky!’ says Terry. ‘It’s a bird!’
I look up to where Terry’s pointing. ‘I don’t think it’s a bird,’ I say. ‘That’s Superfinger.’
‘No, it’s not a bird or Superfinger,’ says Terry. ‘It’s a biplane! And it’s got a sign!’
Q Why did the plane crash?
A Because the pilot was a loaf of bread.
‘A joke-writing pencil, Andy!’ says Terry. ‘That’s exactly what we need! It could help us write jokes and it might even help us write our book even though you have a toothache. We should get one. Today!’
‘But where from?’ I say, just as a second biplane flies overhead.
‘From a Two-Dollar Shop, that’s where!’ says Terry. ‘And we’ve got a Two-Dollar Shop right here in our treehouse!’
‘You’re right,’ I say (moan). ‘But I’ve only got one dollar.’
Q Is an old 100-dollar bill worth more than a new one?
A Yes, it’s worth 99 more dollars.
‘Darn, I’ve only got one dollar as well,’ says Terry.
‘Hmmm ...’ I say.
‘Hmmm ...’
‘Hmmm ...’
‘Hmmm ...’
‘Hmmm ...’
Q What did one maths book say to the other maths book?
A ‘Do you want to hear my problems?’
‘I’ve got an idea!’ says Terry. ‘Why don’t we put our two one-dollar coins together and then we’ll have two dollars?!’
‘Would that even work?’ I say. ‘Is it even possible? Do the laws of mathematics even allow such a thing?’
‘I think they do,’ says Terry. ‘But there’s only one way to find out for sure. Let’s go to the Two-Dollar Shop and see if Pinchy McPhee will let us buy a two-dollar Joke Writer 2000™ with our two one-dollar coins!’
‘I didn’t know our sunny meadow had a video phone,’ says Terry.
‘Of course it does,’ I say. ‘Most meadows do these days.’
‘I hope it’s not Mr Big Nose,’ says Terry.
‘I’m afraid it might be,’ I say.
‘I’m afraid, too,’ says Terry.
Q What demands an answer but asks no question?
A A telephone.
I answer the phone. ‘Hello (moan), Mr Big Nose,’ I groan.
‘What’s with all the moaning and groaning?!’ shouts Mr Big Nose, scaring a flock of butterflies fluttering close to the screen. ‘I don’t have time to listen to moaning and groaning! I’m a busy man, you know!’
‘I know,’ I say, ‘but my tooth—’
‘I don’t have time for explanations,’ interrupts Mr Big Nose. ‘And neither do you. Your book is due today. It had better be on my desk by two-thirty, or else!’
‘Well, we’re running a bit behind,’ I say, ‘because of my toothache, but we’ve got a good idea to put lots of jokes in—’
Mr Big Nose interrupts me again. ‘How about this for a joke?’ he says. ‘What’s big and red and gets bigger and redder the angrier it gets and then explodes if a certain writer and illustrator don’t get their book to me by the deadline, which, just in case you’ve forgotten, is 2.30 p.m. today?’
Q What’s big and red and eats rocks?
A A big red rock-eater.
‘Um, beats me,’ says Terry.
‘Me too,’ I say. ‘We give up.’
‘MY NOSE!’ shouts Mr Big Nose. ‘THAT’S WHAT! SO YOU’D BETTER GET IT DONE BY TWO-THIRTY TODAY, OR ELSE!’
‘Yes, Mr Big Nose,’ I say, but he’s already gone.
‘I didn’t think that was a very funny joke,’ says Terry.
‘No, I think it was more of a threat than a joke,’ I say. ‘We’d better get to the Two-Dollar Shop and buy a Joke Writer 2000™ fast!’
Q What’s big and red and eats big red rock-eaters?
A A big red big red rock-eater.
‘Let’s take our jet-propelled swivel chairs,’ says Terry. ‘It’s quite a long way up.’
Terry whistles and the chairs appear instantly.
We jump on.
‘To the Two-Dollar Shop!’ yells Terry, as we take off at jet-propelled, supersonic swivel chair speed.
Q What rocks but does not roll?
A A rocking chair.