p. 5 ^^^^ 1: J. C. Acquefacques p. 6 ^^^^ "Hello!" "Hello!" "Is there anyone?" "Here!" "!" "!! ?" p. 7 ^^^^ "Here!" "!?" p. 8 ^^^^ My name is Julius Corentin Acquefacques. I live in a "one room" in the north quarter (near the ministry). As usual in the morning, I wake, eat, wash, and dress alone. I'm a bachelor, because, as my neighbor likes to remind me, a woman is at least three units of living space. p. 9 ^^^^ "Ah! Neighbor!" "I've been thinking overnight!" "Listen to this one: Mr. and Mrs. Manvussat have a son... What's his name?" "Gérard (Gérard Manvussat!)" (Note: "Gérard Manvussat" is pronounced the same as "J'ai rarement vu ça", I've rarely seen that. Exercise for the student: find an analogous pun in English.) "A good one, huh?" "And this one: you'll laugh! The son of Mr. Sanfrapper?" "Cat's got your tongue!" p. 10 ^^^^^ "André." "André Sansfrapper!" (Or, entrez sans frapper, enter without knocking. Pretty lame.) "One day you will laugh, neighbor! I swear it!" p. 11 ^^^^^ 2: The Ministry of Humor I work at the ministry of Humor. Some laugh. However, the work assigned me (bringing up to date the great glossary of gags and incongruities) is a responsibility which demands the greatest seriousness, an unceasing vigilance and integrity... So, the case of my neighbor embarasses me. Devoting his life to word games, his dream is to one day be recognized... p. 12 ^^^^^ Of course, dear Hilarion tries hard, and in the end, I appreciate him for that. His gags, however sought-after they may be, are no less labored; submitting them to the commission... ... would amount to a certain favoritism that my colleagues would not miss the chance to reproach me for. "Hep!" ""Real Estate"" "We're all out, sir!" "The laugh" "Got it!" p. 13 ^^^^^ "Excuse me" "Excuse me" (etc.) "Magnificent!" "Sir is an excellent turner!" "Just a little more, and you would have missed the door." "Yes... Traffic is becoming impossible." p. 14 ^^^^^ p. 15 ^^^^^ "It's me!" "The origin?" ""Origin"..." "origin?" (Not sure what "Le Vermot" is.) p. 16 ^^^^^ "Ah... They're waiting for me in the chamber." "This "origin" mystery can't be the gag of the day. It's too complicated to set up..." "The fish on the back was yesterday." "Ah... The fake commission hoax hasn't been done for a long time..." "Or if it was the booby-trapped cigar?" p. 17 ^^^^^ "... Unless it's the cream pie?" "... or the banana peel?" "... And when I hear it said by M. Tonardieu that the gags commission is redundant..." "... with the jokes commission, then sirs, excuse me the expression, but I burst out laughing!" (???) "The pail of waiter... I should have suspected." p. 18 ^^^^^