On Understanding the Limitations of Satire

Between the times of our associations with Dr. Swineherd and Red, Rayetta and me lived for a long while off the fat of the land, like a couple of Wrens, relying on our wits. We had lots of adventures on our migrations in those days and met some strange characters.

One of these (strange characters) had no sense of humor, or at least that's what he told us, and he took pride in humorlessness, and he said, "I don't think anything is funny at all and I never laugh at anything."

Rayetta and me almost got through this recitaton with straight faces, but Rayetta started laughing so hard at this strange character that she (Rayetta) exhaled snot like a hee-hawing donkey.

That let the air out of him.

Then on another adventure we met a man who boasted of being the most boring man
alive. And Rayetta said to him. "Really, that is most interesting, so interesting in point of fact that you don't seem at all boring, to me."

That let the air out of him.

However, we also learned that some strange characters are so exceedingly ignorant and/or so trigger happy that satire may not work on them in time to keep the satirist working the spell from getting seriously hurt or even killed dead. In addition, sometimes we found oursevles, spur of the moment like, up against pure evil masquerading as ignorant/trigger happy. Satire never works directly on that sort.

Now all you Tabby Labbers pay attention.

There aren't enough of us to take on all the exceedingly ignorant and/or trigger happy strange characters head on, yet. So we need to stay away from them as much as possible. But if you get cornered or a confrontation is inevitable, go berserk and don't forget to use a weapon. If you don't have a weapon on you, pick one up. They are generally lying around close at hand. Hurt them and keep hurting them until you are sure they can't hurt you. Remember, you are way more valuable to the Goddess than they are. Also, remember, that whatever you do, you need to be smart enough to get away with it.