Judge — December 3, 1892 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a four-panel sequential comic titled "A Funny Story" showing a hippopotamus telling jokes to an audience of various animals. The dialogue progresses: "Hello! telling a funny story?" → "That's good—go on!" → "Ha-ha-ha!" → "Well, that's the best idea I've heard!" The joke appears to be visual rather than political: the hippopotamus is such a poor or unintelligible storyteller that the audience's best response is to suggest he *stop talking* rather than continue. The humor derives from the animals' enthusiasm for silence—a commentary on bad public speaking or amateur comedians. The final panel shows the animals actively encouraging the hippo to shut up, celebrating this as the "best idea." This is likely generic satirical humor rather than topical political commentary.