| William Hayes Ward.
1835–1916. |
Introduction: Humor in Classic Literature |
| GREEK |
| Homer.
fl. 850 B.C. |
The Beating of Thersites |
| The Battle of the Frogs and Mice |
| Æsop.
c. 620–560 B.C. |
The Wolf and the Lamb |
| The Fox and the Stork |
| The Frog and the Ox |
| The Mountain in Labor |
| The Goat and the Fox |
| The Dog and His Shadow |
| Aristophanes.
c. 448–c. 388 B.C. |
The Passage of the Styx |
| The New City |
| Theophrastus.
c. 371–287 B.C. |
Of Vainglory |
| Of Slovenliness |
| Of Loquacity |
| Lucian.
c. 125–after 180. |
Sailing on Treetops |
| A Question of Precedence |
| Odysseus’s Trick on Polyphemus |
| The Olympians Discuss the Philosophers |
| The Greek Anthology. |
Darkness (Lucian) |
| Cures for Love (Crates) |
| Beer (Julian) |
| Grammar and Medicine (Agathias) |
| A Singer (Nearchus) |
| An Epitaph (Ammianus) |
| Envy (Lucilius) |
| A Professor with a Small Class (Lucilius) |
| False Charms (Lucilius) |
| A Schoolmaster with a Gay Wife (Lucilius) |
| Board or Lodging (Lucilius) |
| Convenient Partnership (Anonymous) |
| Long and Short (Anonymous) |
| The Lerneans (Anonymous) |
| Perplexity (Anonymous) |
| ROMAN |
| Plautus.
c. 254–184 B.C. |
Military Swagger |
| The Suspicious Miser |
| Terence.
c. 195/185–159 B.C. |
Parasites and Gnathonites |
| Catullus.
c. 84–c. 54 B.C. |
The Roman Cockney |
| A Fixed Smile |
| Horace.
65–8 B.C. |
Obtrusive Company on the Sacred Way |
| On Praise and Punishments |
| Town Mouse and Country Mouse |
| The Poet Appreciated |
| Blessings of Wisdom and Wealth |
| Petronius.
c. 27–66. |
An Ingenious Cook |
| Persius.
34–62. |
Poetic Fame |
| Martial.
c. 40–c. 104. |
Epigrams |
| Juvenal.
c. 40–125. |
Cosmetic Disguise |
| The Emperor’s Turbot |
| On Domineering Wives |
| Apuleius.
c. 125–c. 180. |
Metamorphosis |
| Vicissitudes of a Donkey |
| ORIENTAL |
| William Hayes Ward.
1835–1916. |
Introduction: The Humor of the East |
| HINDU |
| Vishnu Sharma (Pilpay).
c. 1,000 B.C.? |
The Elephant Devoured by Jackals |
| A Lion Tricked by a Rabbit |
| The Blue Jackal |
| Kalidasa.
fl. 5th Century. |
Hunting with a King |
| Unknown Author.
c. First Century. |
The Creation of Woman |
| HEBREW |
| The Old Testament. |
Jotham’s Fable of the Trees |
| Sayings from the Talmud. |
|
| SYRIAN |
| Bar-Hebraeus
(Abu’l-Faraj Gregorius).
1226–1286. |
Advice of Physicians |
| Pleasantries of Comedians |
| ARABIAN |
| The Thousand and One Nights. |
The Barmecide’s Feast |
| The Husband and the Parrot |
| The Glass Merchant’s Dream |
| Bakbarah’s Visit to the Harem |
| Nabegat Ben Jaid.
542–662. |
Temper |
| Caliph Yazid I.
c. 642–683. |
Answer to a Reproach for Drunkenness |
| Mashdud.
9th Century. |
The Monks of Khabbet |
| Ali Ben Abd.
11th Century. |
To an Inconsistent Fair |
| Arabian Riddle. |
Fire |
| TURKISH |
| Nasir-Ed-Din.
14th Century. |
Jests and Pranks |
| Mirza Fet-Ali.
Mid-19th Century. |
The Sieve |
| PERSIAN |
| Omar Khayyám.
1048–1131. |
The Pots Criticize the Potter |
| Firdausi.
c. 940–1020. |
Epigram on Sultan Mahmoud |
| Sadi.
c. 1213–1291. |
Discomfort Better than Drowning |
| The Strict Schoolmaster and the Mild |
| Hatefulness of Old Husbands |
| Jalal ad-Din Rumi.
1207–1273. |
The Sick Schoolmaster |
| The Invalid and his Deaf Visitor |
| Old Age |
| Abu-Ishak.
15th Century. |
Parody on Hafiz |
| Do-Pyazah.
16th Century. |
Definitions |
| Diving for an Egg |
| CHINESE |
| Confucius.
551–479 B.C. |
Sayings from the Analects |
| Chwang Tze.
4th Century B.C. |
Life, Death, and Immortality |
| The Pleasure of Fishes |
| Sung Yu.
4th Century B.C. |
Popularity |
| Li Bai.
701–762. |
Intoxication |
| Anonymous Author.
18th Century. |
Civility |
| Yuan Mei.
1716–1797. |
A Stanza for a Tobacco-Pouch |
| Recipes |
| Popular Novel. |
The Courtship of Two Shadows |
| Proverbs. |
|
| JAPANESE |
| Murasaki Shikibu.
b. 978? |
A Homily on Women |
| Popular Farce. |
Abstraction |
| Kiokutei Bakin.
1767–1848. |
On Clothes and Comforts |
| KOREAN |
| Legendary Tale. |
The Rabbit’s Eye |
