Gus was so happy he had finally stumped the great Gary Boone, he forgot to finish his joke.
“Why did Mrs. Snitzberry tiptoe past the medicine cabinet?” Angeline asked impatiently.
“Oh,” said Gus, “she didn’t want to wake up the sleeping pills.”
Angeline laughed.
Of course Gary knew the punch line. He just wasn’t allowed to tell jokes. In fact, not only did he know Gus’s punch line, he knew an even better one:
Why’d Mrs. Snitzberry tiptoe past the medicine cabinet?
She didn’t want to embarrass the “Bare” Aspirin.
“Bird feathers!” exclaimed Angeline as Gus’s ball crashed into hers.
Gus placed his ball next to her ball, stepped on his ball, then slammed his mallet against it, knocking her ball to the far end of the court.
“One of these days you’re going to break your foot that way,” said Abel.
Gus laughed. He turned to Angeline. “That ought to keep you busy for a while.”
She stuck out her tongue at him.
He stuck out his tongue back at her.
For hitting Angeline’s ball, Gus got another shot. He aimed for the wicket but missed, and his ball kept rolling until it was almost as far away as Angeline’s.
“Bird feathers!” he exclaimed.
“So what’s the deal, Gary?” asked Abel. “How come you haven’t told us any jokes?”
“Oh, sure he has!” Angeline said. She looked at her father like he was crazy.
“No, I haven’t,” said Gary.
“Really?” asked Angeline.
He told them about his deal with his parents.
Gus thought it was a “bum deal,” but Angeline agreed with Gary’s parents. “If you keep all your jokes bottled up inside, then when they come out, they’ll be even funnier. Like a balloon. The more air that’s forced inside, the louder the pop!”
“That’s right!” said Gary. “That’s exactly what happens. I don’t tell any jokes at school, but then when I get home, they all burst out of me.”
“Oh, I wish I could hear them,” said Angeline. “But don’t tell me.”
“I won’t,” he assured her.
“I’d like to meet your parents,” Abel said. “They sound very interesting.”
“Huh?” said Gary.
“Do they like to play croquet?” asked Gus. “Why don’t you ask them to join us next time.”
Gary couldn’t imagine his parents spending time with Abel and Gus—especially not Gus. “They don’t like to wear hats,” he said.
“So you sound really serious about this talent show,” said Abel.
“I’ve been making up jokes all week. My plan is to make up jokes for two weeks and then choose my best ones.”