A Laughing matter

This story, enlivened by calypso music, contemporizes an Antilles/English/African folktale entitled He makes the girl laugh, and also draws on the Caribbean custom called Man of Words in which speakers partake in a contest that delights in the richness and pomposity of the English Language . Nelson, a 13-year-old boy who lives with his mother on Nevis Island, is so preoccupied with dancing and singing improvised tunes that he is unable to keep a job. When he enters a contest to make Georgia, an extemely depressed girl from Toronto laugh, he assumes that he must use North American jokes and imitate American stars to be successful. Unfortunately, the girl is not impressed and remains glum. During the post-contest dinner, however, Nelson inadvertently commits a faux pas and in trying to mask it, performs an impromptu song that makes Georgia laugh. Through this experience, the boy learns to have confidence in his own unique abilities.