A joke I learned in 1978

When I was 10 my teacher told us this joke.

So in the old Wild West… General Custer was chasing Sitting Bull. He had his cavalry and supply wagons and soldiers. They’d been chasing Sitting Bull for days and the weather was starting to go bad. A lieutentant came to Custer and told him “Sir, the men are tired, the weather is bad, we need to rest.” Custer thought about it and replied “OK, I’ve been here before; a couple of miles ahead is a valley where we can make camp”.

So they set up camp. But this valley focused the wind and the cavalry were miserable. The lieutenant complained again to Custer; “As I said, I’ve been here before. At the far end of the valley there is a grove of hazelnut trees; you can cut those down and make huts to protect us from the wind”.

Which they did. But hazelnut branches are twisty and there were lots of gaps in the walls for the wind to fit though. Still the cavalry shivered. A third time the lieutenant went to his General; “The rear wagon is full of chocolate; melt that and poor it over the huts. That will seal the holes”.

Finally the cavalry were able to rest.

Now high above them, on the valley’s edge, Standing Bull (son of Sitting Bull) watched on. He saw the cavalry do all this, and was confused. He reported to his father.

“So, my son! Tell me what my old enemy General Custer is doing now.”

And so Standing Bull told him of the cavalry, of the wagon train, of the cutting down of trees, the building…

“Father, I don’t understand these actions. Has your enemy gone mad?”

“No my son, it is very simple. (singing) Huts, oh hazel huts, cavalry make them and they cover them with chocolate!”

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