What are the characteristics of humorous fiction short stories?

One characteristic is the use of irony. For example, in 'The Gift of the Magi', the couple sells their most precious possessions to buy gifts for each other, but the gifts end up being useless for their original purposes. Another is the creation of absurd situations, like in 'The Ransom of Red Chief' where the kidnappers are outwitted by the kidnapped boy.

They often have a simple setup. Just a few characters or a single situation is enough. For instance, in the story of the snail getting mugged by turtles, there are only three characters involved. And humor can come from wordplay too. Sometimes, a play on words can create a really funny moment in a humorous short story. They also tend to be relatable in some way, even if the situation is very strange, like the man thinking he was a chicken which can make us think about how our minds can play tricks on us.

They often have unexpected twists. Such as in the story 'A man told his doctor that he wasn't able to do all the things around the house that he used to do. When the examination was over, he said, 'Now, Doc, I can take it. Tell me in plain English what is wrong with me.' 'Well, in plain English,' the doctor replied, 'you're just lazy.' Here, the doctor's response is the unexpected part.

Well, one characteristic is the unexpected twists. For example, in many humorous short fictions, the plot suddenly takes a turn that readers don't anticipate, which often leads to laughter. Another is the use of comical characters. These characters might have exaggerated traits like being overly clumsy or extremely naive. Also, humorous short fictions often play with language. They might use puns, double entendres, or just really witty dialogues that tickle the reader's funny bone.

Humor is the key characteristic. This can be through funny dialogues, like the witty exchanges between characters in 'Pride and Prejudice' where Mr. Bennet's sarcastic remarks add humor. Another characteristic is absurd situations. For example, in 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen' the Baron tells tall tales full of impossible feats. Also, the use of comical characters, like the bumbling Inspector Clouseau in the 'Pink Panther' stories, is common in humorous fiction.

One characteristic is the use of vivid characters. For example, characters like Mullah Nasruddin are often full of quirks and idiosyncrasies that lead to humorous situations. They might be overly confident or a bit naive, which makes their actions and reactions funny.

They often have unexpected twists. In many humorous short stories, like those of O. Henry, the ending takes the reader by surprise. This sudden turn creates humor as it defies the reader's expectations.

One characteristic is unexpected endings. For example, in a story, you might think a character is going to succeed in a certain task, but then something completely unforeseen happens that makes the whole situation funny. Another is the use of absurd situations, like a talking dog giving advice on how to bake a cake.

They often use simple language. For example, they may tell about a child's innocent view of religious things in a humorous way, like a kid thinking angels are just people with big white wings who can fly really fast.

Relatable situations. In stories like 'The Little Red Hen', children can understand the concept of fairness. The hen's situation of doing all the work while others are lazy is something kids might see in their own lives, and the way it's presented is humorous.