Stories have been told and retold for centuries throughout the world. Why? For one thing, they are entertaining. Another reason is that they deal with the human condition, one way or another. Even stories using animals as characters reflect the situations and actions of our species.

For centuries as well, life has been a struggle. Wars. Famine. Relationship scuffles. Struggles that implore some understanding, some support. A resolution of some sort.

At the same time, nobody likes to be preached to. We desire to sweeten our bitter medicines. That is where laughter comes in. It is the honey in the brew. Priceless humor is filled with wit and wisdom. An awesome blend of entertainment and enlightenment.

As you know, laughter lightens the heart. Laughter enlivens the spirit. And as long as we are laughing at the foibles of others (and not ourselves) we find those situations funny. This is priceless humor.

Look around you at the great humorists. Art Buchwald. Mark Russell. Russell Baker. Look at history and the humorists that litter the pages. Moliere. Henry Fielding Storytellers all. Painting scenes with priceless humor.

Priceless humor... what makes it priceless? The answer is simple. Priceless humor revolves about common everyday experiences. The missed appointment. The comic situation. The laughable consequences generally follow in quick succession.

You will find lots of priceless humor in urban folktales. My CD Parking in Manhattan illustrates many humorous circumstances. These hilarious comedies involve characters everybody can relate to and empathasize with. Priceless humor arises out of priceless situations.

You can also find many examples of priceless humor in world stories. The retelling of such stories never ceases to bring gales of laughter to listeners. Check out "Rock Soup" or "Herschel in the Woods" from my CD Fables in Four Minutes. My CD World Full of Stories has many examples a listener can enjoy. These are just a few examples of priceless humor. You will find yourself remembering these stories for a very long time. You can find priceless humor and more at www.jaystetzer.com.

When I am out and about, I tune into conversations around me. They are filled with catastrophes and disasters. And the life lessons are generally hidden from view. As a storyteller, my job is to sift through the data and sort out the meaning. Also, I need to inject a bit of humor to make the tale palatable. Making the story priceless with priceless humor!

Virtually every storytelling genre contains examples of priceless humor. Why? Simple answer number two. We learn best when we are laughing. There is often a lesson to be learned through a story with priceless humor. Priceless humor is... priceless!