Humour Amongst the Boers

But simple though these Boers proved to be they were not humourless, even on their sick-bed. One of the younger medical officers amused by the guileless good nature of one of his patients, propounded some problem with him on his daily round.

One day, he said "I say, old boy, do you know the moon is inhabited ? "

"Impossible", the old fox replied with his habitual calm.

"But have you not heard that your friends; the French, have watched the inhabitants of the moon through the giant telescope at the Paris Exhibition ? "

"Impossible, my lad." remarked the old Boer, "if the moon were inhabited the English would long ago have tried to annex her!"