should i laugh at the joke or the joker?

Mouse who barked
By Li Xueying

Labour chief Lim Swee Say recounted the tale of a mouse that barked like a dog to get across a solemn message: it is important to upgrade one's skills. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

A MOUSE met a cat. The mouse barked like a dog. That scared the cat away.
To great levity in the House on Wednesday, labour chief Lim Swee Say recounted the tale to get across a solemn message: it is important to upgrade one's skills.

In an impromptu speech to rebut criticisms of the Jobs Credit scheme, Mr Lim said: 'We must never hope for a no-pain solution because there's no painless way out of global recession.'

He then told the tale of a kingdom of mice that 'lived very peacefully' until a cat appeared. The mice Parliament convened to discuss how to overcome their new fear.

One mice MP proposed a very simple solution: hang a big bell on the cat's neck so that it can be heard wherever it goes. Another suggested that it be big and heavy 'so that by the time the cat sees us, it will be so heavy, it cannot keep up with us'.

But there was a snag in implementing it. Who will bell the cat?

'There was no volunteer,' said Mr Lim.

The idea failed and the cat continued to move around freely while the mice lived in fear. One day, a mother mouse and her baby were hunting for food when the cat cornered them.

Trapped, the mother did the unexpected: she stared at the cat and barked, sending the feline fleeing.

To laughter from the MPs, Mr Lim said: 'The mother mouse turned and told the baby mouse: 'See, now you understand the importance of upskilling and re-skilling'.'

the joker is funnier than the joke itself! he's sillier!!

the fisherman and the fishing rod
the fisherman went fishing in a lake once flourished with fishes. soon, the lake was deprived of any fish cos the fisherman caught too many fishes and didn't even spare roes laden ones from further breeding.

along came a joker lim suay suay. he gave another rod to him: "this is my magic rod. it's branded and would definitely help u to catch more fishes. use it diligently and wisely..."

so the fisherman now uses 2 rods - his own and the branded one from lim suay suay. but there is still no fish that can be caught.

THERE ISN'T ANY MORE FISH IN THE LAKE!!

lim suay suay's story is of course a fairy tale. is he hinting that the JOKE CREDIT could be a joking "fairy tale" too?