What are the characteristics of funny entertaining short stories?

One characteristic is their fast - paced nature. Short entertaining novels like 'The Call of Cthulhu' can build up tension and mystery very quickly. They don't waste time on long - winded descriptions. Another aspect is that they can cover a wide range of genres in a short space, from comedy to horror, and still manage to be highly engaging.

There was a dog that mistook a mop for another dog. It growled and barked at it for a while. When the mop didn't respond, it nudged it with its nose and then ran away scared. Also, a dog that was sleeping on the couch and started dreaming. It was running in its sleep and ended up falling off the couch, looking very dazed when it woke up.

Sure. Here is one. A magician was walking down the street and turned into a grocery store. Another one. A man goes to the doctor and says, 'Doctor, I've broken my arm in several places.' The doctor says, 'Well, don't go to those places anymore.'

Here's another. A story about a pirate. 'The (pirate) was looking for his (treasure) on the (island). He dug a (huge) hole and found not gold but a (plastic) spoon. This shows how by changing the expected discovery in a fill - in - the - blank story, we can create a humorous situation. The pirate expected something valuable like gold or jewels, but getting a plastic spoon instead is quite unexpected and funny.

There is an amusing Bard story about a lost unicorn. The unicorn thought it was a horse and tried to enter a horse race. But it couldn't run very fast because it kept stopping to admire its own horn. And also, the story of a sleepy dragon. Instead of breathing fire, it would just yawn and blow out little puffs of smoke that smelled like cinnamon. These Bard stories are full of humor and fun.

A group of friends set up a GoFundMe to create a 'Museum of Useless Inventions'. They had some really strange and funny ideas for exhibits, like a self - stirring coffee mug with a built - in fan to cool the coffee at the same time. They shared these ideas on the GoFundMe page, and it got funded because people thought it was such a creative and funny concept.

They often involve unexpected elements. In the story of the boy painting his dog, the unexpected action of the boy made it funny. The dog's appearance after being painted was not what one would expect. Also, they tend to have characters with some kind of quirk, like the clumsy magician. Their flaws or unique behaviors lead to humorous situations.

The naivete of turkeys plays a big part. They don't seem to understand many things in the human - dominated world around them. So when they interact with human objects or animals in a wrong or funny way, it creates an entertaining story. For instance, a turkey getting stuck in a wheelbarrow or thinking a lawnmower is some kind of giant predator and running away from it in a clumsy fashion.

They are brief. Usually, they can be told in just a few sentences. For example, 'Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything.' It gets to the funny part quickly without a lot of build - up.

Funny and short stories are often characterized by unexpected twists. For example, in the story of the panda in the restaurant, the punchline about 'eats shoots and leaves' is completely unexpected. They also usually have simple settings and characters. A short story about a cat chasing its tail doesn't need a complex world - building. And they are quick to tell and easy to remember, like the joke about the magician turning into a grocery store. You can share these stories easily in a short conversation and make people laugh right away.