[ WP ] An innocent passerby notices another man about to hang himself on a playground . To avert the man 's death , the passerby decides to have a casual conversation with him . To goal is to make the ensuing conversation so funny that the reader forgets about the suicide .

`` Hey man look over there'' my friend whispers in a hushed tone, very unusual for him considering he is a very unruly drunk. I look and spy a man sitting on the park bench, appearing to either be laughing or crying. After a few minutes I decide that he is n't laughing, so we had best get to making him laugh. I begin to scour my mind for funny jokes, whispering to my friend to do the same. 
 
 `` So Joe, what do you call a cow with three legs?'' 
 
 `` No idea what?'' 
 
 `` Lean beef, what do you call a cow with two legs?'' 
 
 `` I do n't know what?'' 
 
 `` Your wife.'' Joe and I begin cackling like mad men, but the stranger just groans and begins to sob even more. Not good enough, need to think of better jokes. 
 
 `` So Frank, what do you call a dog with no legs?'' 
 
 `` What Joe?'' 
 
 `` Does n't matter he wo n't come.'' We again burst out in laughter but to no avail, the man seems even more despaired. We peer over and see that he has put a gun to his head. `` Shit Frank what are we going to do?!'' Joe panicked, never dealing well with crisis. `` I do n't know, those where my best jokes!'' I was getting flustered too, this man was going to kill himself with the last things he hear being our horrid comedy. 
 
 `` What about that one your grandpa had you remember?'' Joe said, a glint in his eye. `` That old joke? It does n't even make sense, it is in German. Fuck it, here it goes'' I whispered, half to him half to my self. `` Wenn ist das Nunstück git und Slotermeyer? Ja! Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!'' The hammer cocks, but the man stops, starts shaking more, but not shallow rattles, full hearty quakes of pure joy. 
 
 He drops the gun and doubles over laughing. He is in absolute bliss. Suddenly his body locks up, a permanent Cheshire grin on his face.
