# Ridiculous explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by O. Henry.

## What happens

A short, humorous editorial note recounts a nonsensical riddle left at the office by a young man who fled immediately. The riddle compares the coming Sunday to a very young body because 'it's neck's weak,' which the editor dismisses as absurd, noting that days cannot have necks. The piece serves as a critique of the trivial and foolish submissions received by the paper.

## Themes in this chapter

### Humor and Irony

The chapter uses a ridiculous riddle and the editor's deadpan dismissal to highlight the absurdity of trivial submissions, employing irony to critique the quality of reader contributions.

## Key lines

> Why is the coming Sunday like a very young body? Answer: Because it's neck's weak.

What makes the upcoming Sunday similar to an infant? The answer is that its neck is weak.

_The riddle plays on the pun 'neck's weak' sounding like 'next week,' but the editor rejects it as nonsensical._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se/chapters/ridiculous
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se/chapters