Ciao everyone!  Here is this blog’s first joke:

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson decide to go camping one night, so they pitch their tent and go to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Sherlock wakes up Watson and says, “Watson, look up and tell me what you see.”  

So, Watson looks up and observes the sky, “Well, I see the moon, some stars, and maybe some clouds?”

And Sherlock asks, “And what do you deduce from that?”

Watson responds, “Hm, I don’t know.  Maybe that means it will be a nice day tomorrow?”

Finally, Sherlock goes, “Watson, you idiot, it means someone stole our tent!”

Personally, I would rate this joke a 9.5/10 because of its literature reference and its storytelling outline; it definitely made me laugh, and I hope it made you laugh too.

But what really provides the substance for this joke?  The answer, simply, is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation of Sherlock Holmes. 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, born in 1859, began his scholarly life in Edinburgh, Scotland.  As one of ten children, he later pursued an education in the medical field, with a year studying in Austria, then earning a Bachelor in Medicine, Master of Surgery, and an M.D. from the University of Edinburgh’s Medical School.  However, Conan Doyle grew to be a talented essayist and writer, and when he mixed this passion with his deduction skills as a doctor, there was the birth of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1887).  Novels evolved into short stories, and short stories combined into more novels; this seemingly never-ending cycle of unique murder-mysteries captured the attention of millions worldwide.  Tales such as A Study in Scarlet and The Hound of Baskervilles still accumulate their well-deserved fame centuries after they were published.  

Now what can we deduce from this as readers?  Well, from my point of view, it’s widely known that Sherlock Holmes and his partner, Dr. John Watson, are famous for solving impossible crimes.  Simple logic and problem-solving skills are classics for catching criminals, especially when challenged with catching the infamous Professor James Moriarity, but there must be more to the story.

And there is! Perhaps a magnifying glass wouldn’t help solve this one…

Conan Doyle, in his eyes, tried to reimagine himself as Sherlock Holmes.  Sherlock’s cold, reserved, mysterious, and quick-witted persona, as Conan Doyle claims, is a projection of his own intellect and determination.  I wonder if he owned the classic Sherlockian cap.

When the crime-solving industry wasn’t enough, Conan Doyle began publishing nonfiction, including military works such as The Great Boer War (1900), The British Campaign in France and Flanders (1916–20), and The Crime of the Congo (1909).  Surprised? I was too, since these works are somewhat overshadowed by the Sherlock Holmes franchise.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s story comes to an end in 1930, where he died in Sussex, England.  However, his legacy still maintains its longevity into the Twenty-First Century, with new literary and television adaptations.

Now, it’s my turn to make like a tree and get out of here. Until next time my jokers!

Reference: Wilson, P. K. (1999, May 4). Arthur Conan Doyle. Encyclopædia Britannica. 

                                https://www.britannica.com/biography/Arthur-Conan-Doyle.