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#Humor

Laugh or Walk the Plank

Between 16º and 17ºN latitude, in the sun-drenched Caribbean… sailed a pirate whose weapon of choice was not a cutlass or a pistol, but the deadliest thing of all: terrible pirate jokes. Meet Captain Chucklebeard, a swashbuckler of dubious wit but remarkable infamy. His crew sailed under the Jolly Guffaw, and they left a trail of not-so-mirthful laughter wherever they went.

As the Jolly Guffaw approached unsuspecting merchant ships, Captain Chucklebeard would unfurl his tattered joke-telling flag, which bore the ominous insignia of a skull in the midst of an endless giggle fit. The crew would signal their intentions with a bellowing "Ahoy, me hearties! Prepare to be entertained!" And so, their victims would bristle with a mix of dread and curiosity.

One fateful day, the Jolly Guffaw set its sights on the Golden Galleon, a merchant vessel renowned for its precious cargo. Chucklebeard and his motley crew swung aboard, and the Captain, his tricorn hat slightly askew, began his assault not with a sword, but with a quip.

"Why did the pirate go to school? To improve his 'arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr'ithmetic!"

The crew of the Golden Galleon exchanged puzzled glances. Then, suddenly, a hearty laugh erupted from the ship's captain. He clutched his chest, wheezing with laughter, and before he could say another word, he keeled over, literally dying of mirth.

Chucklebeard's reputation for terrible jokes grew, as did his treasure hoard of riches, amassed not through plundering, but through punchlines. Crew members from the merchant ships were often seen doubled over with laughter as they walked the plank.

With every conquest, Chucklebeard's jokes became more notorious. He'd quip, "What's a pirate's favorite letter? You'd think it'd be 'R,' but it's really the 'C'!" And his victims would chortle, then gasp for breath, and then meet their end, their spirits likely chuckling their way into the afterlife.

In a strange twist of fate, Chucklebeard became the most beloved pirate in the Caribbean. No one feared him for his ruthless plundering; instead, they dreaded his jests. The very mention of the Jolly Guffaw sent shivers down sailors' spines, not for the impending doom but for the impending punchlines.

Thus, Captain Chucklebeard and his merrymaking crew continued their unique reign of the high seas, where they were revered as the Caribbean's most dangerous stand-up comedians. Their legend grew, not for the treasures they took, but for the jokes that killed – quite literally. A pirate's life had never been so hilariously perilous.

Published Sat, Oct 21, 2023
Suggested by W.Denaro
Managing Editor

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