She pulls over as the local farmer comes out in hysterics.
"My god! That was my prized egg laying hen! We're already underwater on the house; how will I feed my family now!?" he cries.
The woman begins to panic. Thinking fast, she pulls out her checkbook and writes him a five hundred dollar check.
"I'm so sorry!" she says. "Here, take this, I hope it is enough to repay you."
The farmer dries his eyes and takes the money, and she gets on her way. He then heads back to his chicken coop where his wife is waiting for him, and he tells her about the chicken and the check.
Suspicious, she squints and asks, "Why was our chicken crossing the road?"
And he leans in, picks up two more chickens, and says, "Because we have a mortgage, honey!"
Joke Poo: The Pigeon Plot
A businessman accidentally runs over a pigeon in a park while rushing to a meeting. He leaps out of his luxury car, horrified, as a dishevelled-looking man rushes towards him, wailing.
“Oh, the humanity! That was Percy, my champion racing pigeon! He was going to win me the city-wide competition! My retirement fund is riding on this!” the man laments dramatically.
The businessman, feeling guilty, pulls out his wallet. “I am terribly sorry! Here, take this, it’s all I have on me,” he says, handing him a wad of hundred-dollar bills. “I hope it covers some of the… loss.”
The pigeon owner grabs the money, wiping away theatrical tears, and the businessman hurries away, relieved. The owner then scurries back to a group of pigeons perched on a nearby statue, where his friend is waiting. He divides the money in half.
His friend narrows his eyes suspiciously. “Why was Percy, supposed to be your champion bird, was out in the park with the other pigeons?”
The first man pockets his share and, with a wink, grabs two more pigeons. “Because the stock market’s down, Gary! We need some kind of returns!”
Okay, let’s analyze this chicken-crossing-the-road joke and fertilize it with some fun facts for a new comedic hatching.
Joke Dissection:
- Core Idea: The classic “Why did the chicken cross the road?” is subverted. Instead of a riddle-like answer, it’s revealed that the chicken crossed the road due to financial desperation, a starkly realistic (and therefore funny) contrast to the absurdity of the original question.
- Setup: The elaborate setup is essential. The car accident, the farmer’s feigned distress, the check, and the wife’s suspicion are all necessary to build tension and believability before the punchline lands.
- Characters: We have the naive, guilt-ridden woman; the cunning, opportunistic farmer; and the suspicious, grounded wife. Their contrasting personalities enhance the humor.
- Themes: Economic hardship, deception, desperation, and the absurdity of modern life all play a role.
- Punchline: The punchline is effective because it combines the familiar (the chicken crossing the road) with the unexpected (financial motives). The farmer’s nonchalant attitude while holding more chickens adds to the dark humor.
Enrichment & New Humor Creation:
Now, let’s use some chicken-related facts to spice things up.
Fact: Did you know the most expensive chicken ever sold was a Ayam Cemani chicken. It can cost up to $2,500 per bird! They have a genetic condition called Fibromelanosis that causes hyperpigmentation. Everything from their feathers and beak to their bones and organs is black.
New Joke:
A woman hits a chicken as it’s crossing the road. She is horrified and quickly pulls over.
A disheveled farmer runs over, wailing. “Oh, no! That was Henrietta! My prized Ayam Cemani! Do you know how much black chicken goes for these days?!”
Feeling terrible, the woman pulls out her checkbook. “I’m so, so sorry. How much…how much do I owe you?”
The farmer sniffles, wiping away fake tears. “Well, they’re usually around two thousand five hundred… but considering the emotional distress…”
The woman writes out a check for $5,000. “Please, just take it. I can’t stand the thought of what I’ve done.”
The farmer takes the check, a glint in his eye. As the woman drives away, he rushes back to his coop.
His wife, a shrewd woman with a farmer’s tan, is waiting. “What happened?” she asks suspiciously. “Why were you running around like a lunatic?”
The farmer, still clutching the check, grins. “Well, honey,” he says, grabbing two more Ayam Cemani chickens, “looks like Henrietta just paid for our black market vacation to the Bahamas!”
Explanation of Changes and Additions:
- Ayam Cemani: Using this breed introduces a factual element of an incredibly valuable chicken. This elevates the stakes and makes the farmer’s exaggeration more believable (and funnier).
- “Black Chicken” Pun: We add a play on words, referencing both the chicken’s color and the potential black market trade.
- Exaggerated Check: Bumping the check amount to $5000 after the chicken’s value makes the woman’s guilt seem more ridiculous and the farmer’s scam even more lucrative.
- “Black Market Vacation” Pun: The punchline is now a double entendre, referencing both the chicken’s color and the illegality of his scam.
- Shrewd Wife: The wife’s reaction is heightened to play up the farmers’ planned grift.
The new joke uses the same structure as the original but leverages the factual information about the Ayam Cemani chicken to create a funnier, more contemporary twist. It also adds levels of dark humor.