偶作胡鬧之事，是智者所樂為。－無名氏

有一天，當我在攝影場裏忙了一整天之後，很想婉辭一個邀請我參加的晚宴，我的藉口是太累了，可能使他們掃興，可是由於大家堅持要我去，因為嫩羊肉已經下鍋了，所以最後不得不去跑一趟了。

我才進門，主人就對我說：「傑美，晚飯還沒有好，我們的女兒克拉娜等著要你在她睡前念一段故事給她聽。」這正合我的胃口，我推想著為這個四歲大的女兒念一段睡前故事一定不會太好受，無奈目前我正在為晚宴的事所困擾，所以我就上樓去了，我接下孩子遞給我的書開始念給她聽了。

我有點驚訝，因為有相當久一段時間，我不曾涉獵關於海象號叫著剖開牡蠣，吹笛的大象，沒有腳指的寶寶，貓頭鷹和波斯貓同乘一艘美麗的綠色小舟航海這一類哄小孩子的故事了。讀了這些故事我跟那小女孩一樣有著很大的啟發。

下樓時，我變得容光煥發，精神百倍，準備大嚼一頓嫩羊肉。由於這件事使我深思，到底笑話的本身有些甚麼貢獻。我想「傑美」哄人發噱是你的本行，可是你或許會否認它還能使人在工作之餘身心得到調劑吧。

也許一個人不做些引人發噱的事就不會變得聰明幹練，要緊的事這些天來，報紙上的頭條新聞，不曾有我喜歡看的事情，像安全活塞般地來調劑生活了。

我們從小孩子時代開始，多少胡鬧的事如朋友似地伴隨著我們慢慢長大。我可以指出那些對自己說「我沒有這種習慣」的人，一定是一些既可憐又孤單的人。

傑美 杜蘭德（喜劇演員）

Don’t Sneer at Nonsense

“A little nonsense now and then is relishedby the wisest men.”- ANONYMOUS

The other night, after a very touch day atthe studio, I try to get out a dinner date. I say I’m too tired and grumpy tobe good company. But the people insist I’ve got to show up anyway, since thelamb chops are already in the skillet. So I finally give in.

No sooner do I get in the door when my hostsays,”Jimmy, dinner’s not quite ready and little Clara has been waiting for youto read to her before she goes to sleep.” That’s just what I need! In the mood I’min, I’m supposed to go through a bedtime-story session with a four-year-old. ButI am trapped, so I go upstairs and take the book the kid gives me and I startto read to her.

I soon get quite a surprise. It’s been along time since I read the wonderful nonsense about the Walrus that cries as hecarves the oysters, the Elephant that plays the fife, the Pobble who has no toes,the Owl and the Pussycat which went to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat. I amsoon getting as big a kick out of it as the little girl!

When I come downstairs I am all coveredwith smiles and ready to leap into those lamb chops. And it gets me to thinking,too- which is a feat in itself, folks. I think, jimmy, nonsense is your stockin trade, but maybe you don’t realize how healthy it is off the job.

Maybe there’s nobody who is smart and wiseenough to do without a little nonsense. Maybe it’s even more important thanever these days, when the headlines are not the happiest which I ever read, tohave a sort of safety valve.

When we were all kids, we grew up withnonsense as a sort of a friend. And I figure the guy who says to himself,” I’veout-grown that sort of stuff,” must be a pretty lonely guy.

BY JIMMY DURANTE (COMEDIAN)