Books in Dover Humor series

This new, vastly expanded and enriched version of The Official Rules presents precisely 5,427 laws, principles, rules, proverbs, and aphorisms collected by Paul Dickson and the esteemed Fellows of the Murphy Center for the Codification of Human and Organizational Law. This often amusing, sometimes profound, collection of "official rules" was gathered one rule at a time over more than forty years from pundits, prophets, and everyday folks. It provides a means of coping in a world of human error and foibles where nothing is ever as simple as it seems, everything takes longer than expected, and inanimate objects possess an innate perversity. In sum it is rich testimony to the resiliency of the human spirit in facing the pitfalls and potholes of modern life. Though the vast majority of these life lessons were gathered in the 20th century, they are still timely and concise enough to fit inside the framework of a tweet. Recognizing the humor in adversity, these comic truths encourage acceptance of life's little imperfections. For example, Agnes Allen's timeless law: Almost anything is easier to get into than out of.

Edward Lear was the greatest nonsensicalist of all time. He was the inventor of the limerick and created the Jumblies and The Owl and the Pussycat. This complete edition of Lear's nonsense verse - including the limericks, longer verses, alphabets and his own illustrations - is lovingly restored and beautifully presented, for adults and children to enjoy together.

Wilhelm Busch (1832-1908), endowed with an equipotent facility with sketch-pad and rhyming dictionary, created some of the most arresting sketches and drollest verses the world has yet seen.In addition to the title piece, this book reprints “Ker and Plunk” (Plisch und Plum), “The Egghead and the Two Cut-ups of Corinth” (Diogenes and die bösen Buben von Korinth), “The Raven-robbin’ Rascals” (Das Rabennest), “Deceitful Henry” (Der hinterlistige Heinrich), “The Boy and the Popgun” (Das Pusterrohr), “Ice-Peter” (Der Eispeter), “The Boy and the Pipe” (Krischan mit der Piepe), “Firm Faith” (Fester Glauben), “The Two Ducks and the Frog” (Die beiden Enten und der Frosch), and “Cat and Mouse” (Katze und Maus).By turns malevolent, jovial, sardonic, diabolical, and bloodthirsty, these verses tellingly castigate hypocrisy, stodginess, stupidity, egotism, drunkenness, and other human foibles. The English translations, printed opposite the original German, are ingenious and faithful, with spice and sense both intact.

"Smiley was surprised and disgusted, but he not himself doubted not of the turn being intended. The individual empocketed the silver, himself with it went, and of it himself in going is it that he no gives not a jerk of thumb over the shoulders — like that — at the poor Daniel, in saying with his air deliberate — "'Eh bien! I no see not that that frog has nothing of better than another.'"You would probably be hard-pressed to identify the author of the above passage as Mark Twain. And no wonder: this little bit of Twain's wit is part of a translation he made from a French translation of his celebrated "Frog" tale. The French translation was published in the Revue des Deux Mondes, the "Review of Some Two Worlds," as Twain styled it. The re-translation Twain made into English was supposed to be a clear demonstration of the French translator's incompetence. In any case, Twain, trusty tongue in cheek, obviously felt his re-translation to be the only suitable response to the French rendering of his inimitable tale. Certainly, the subtleties (such as they are) of the new English version will delight any language student.But — alas and alack — imagine Twain's consternation (after having given his pitiable French imitator his just desserts) upon learning that the Calaveras County incident had been recorded in Greece two thousand years earlier. Can the reader believe it? Do not confuse this book with the original story alone. It contains the original, the French "traduction," Twain's re-translation, and a wealth of reflection by Twain. It is the only "complete" Jumping Frog.