Intrigued, the craftsman obliges, and sets to work making an exquisite puzzle box casket, which is buried the next day.
Some time passes, and the two men cross paths again one day. The woodworker flags the widower down and says to him, "How've you been holding up?"
The widower says, "Oh it's been terrible. I miss her cooking, her laugh, and most of all, I just want to have sex with her one more time!"
The woodworker frowns and says, "I'm so sorry."
And the man goes, "Don't be! I've been doing puzzle boxes for over twenty years and yours is the best I've ever tried!"
Joke Poo: The Archaeologist’s Relief
An obsessive archaeologist, devastated by the loss of his favorite shovel, commissioned a master stonemason to create a sarcophagus shaped like his beloved tool. They buried it with great ceremony in a remote dig site.
Years later, the stonemason ran into the archaeologist at a conference. "How have you been, Professor?" he asked, "I often think about that… unique commission."
The archaeologist sighed deeply. "It’s been awful. I miss its sturdy handle, its perfect scoop, and most of all, I just want to use it to unearth something… anything!"
The stonemason furrowed his brow in sympathy. "I’m so sorry to hear that."
The archaeologist beamed. "Don’t be! I’ve been digging for over thirty years, and yours is the hardest thing I’ve ever tried to get inside!"
Alright, let’s break down this morbidly humorous puzzle of a joke:
Key Elements:
- Grief and Loss: The setup establishes a somber atmosphere with the death of the wife and the widower’s implied sorrow.
- Puzzle Box Metaphor: The wife’s casket is a complex puzzle box, symbolizing perhaps the complexities of their relationship, or the mysteries of life and death.
- Misdirection/Subversion: The audience is led to believe the widower is suffering from the typical emotions associated with loss (loneliness, yearning for companionship).
- Dark Humor/Inappropriate Focus: The punchline pivots to a shockingly inappropriate desire (necrophilia), reframing the puzzle box not as a means of remembrance, but as an obstacle to sexual gratification. The widower’s lack of grief and his focus on the puzzle is the source of the humor.
- Skill/Achievement: The widower’s only concern is the challenge and accomplishment of solving the puzzle.
Interesting Related Tidbits & Facts:
- Puzzle Box History: Puzzle boxes have a long history, dating back to the Edo period in Japan. Some were used to hide valuables, making the difficulty a security feature.
- Necrophilia Statistics (Mildly toned down): While the joke plays on a taboo, instances of necrophilia, like many other crimes, are not always reported and are difficult to investigate. This adds to the shock value of the punchline.
- Grief Stages: The joke’s humor stems from the widower bypassing the typical stages of grief. The concept of grief stages, however, isn’t universally accepted in psychology; some believe grief is more individual and less structured.
- Woodworking Precision: Puzzle boxes require incredibly precise woodworking. Even a tiny error can render the puzzle unsolvable.
New Humorous Element (Witty Observation):
"You know, the real trick to making a good puzzle box casket isn’t the intricate locking mechanisms, it’s the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign you have to engrave on the inside."
New Joke (Plays on the themes of the original):
A couple had a very passionate, but difficult marriage. They were always arguing but intensely loved each other. When the wife died, the husband, a skilled engineer, designed her gravestone with a complex series of gears, levers, and dials that would play their song when solved.
A friend asked him months later, "Have you been back to the grave?"
The husband replied, "Not really. I almost got it once, but then I remembered… the instructions were in her handwriting!"