Merry Germans

Herr James Roots asked if it is within the bounds of possibility to see a German laugh and Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien replied that “the Elders tells that some centuries ago in a remote German village, a peasant experienced such rare phenomenon... it was an event of some importance in Germany, certainly...”
Suddenly Dame Frederica revealed that “this rare occurrence is justly famed in song and story. In fact, Richard "Chuckles" Wagner's longest but least successful opera--"The Giggling Frisian"--used this very legend as source material”.
Finally Herr Eric Stott ( a Pennsylvania Deutsch by heritage-that tend to enjoy jokes about rats falling into the apple butter ) confessed:“My dear sir, I can ASSURE you that Germans can Indeed be amused- it just takes the proper material, or combination of factors:
-A fat man
-A fat woman
-Barnyard Animals
-Any misfortune which happens to a person of a different social class than your own- as a Graff you would find the misfortunes of a middle class tradesman or a clerk to be somewhat diverting, but might prefer to see a Grand Duke caught trouserless without proper explaination (If it was part of an assignation with a lustig frau wielding a birch rod, well, that might excuse him.)

Published in "alt.movies.silent".