An elderly couple, Agnes and Arthur, were celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary.
The local newspaper wanted to interview them about their long and happy marriage.
The young reporter sat down with them, notepad in hand, a picture of eager anticipation on her face. “Seventy years!” she exclaimed. “That’s absolutely incredible! What’s the secret to such a long and happy marriage?”
Agnes, a twinkle in her eye, leaned forward. “Well, dear,” she began, her voice a little raspy but full of warmth, “it all started back when Arthur and I were just courting. He was a handsome young lad, a real charmer, though a bit clumsy. One day, we were walking by the creek, holding hands, and he tripped. Down he went, right into the muddy water!”
Arthur, sitting beside her, chuckled softly, a fond smile on his wrinkled face. “Oh, she’s going to tell that story again,” he murmured good-naturedly.
Agnes continued, undeterred. “Yes, well, there he was, covered head to toe in mud, looking like a drowned rat. And what did I do? I burst out laughing! I couldn’t help myself. He looked so utterly ridiculous.”
The reporter scribbled furiously, thinking, “Ah, so humor is the key!”
Agnes went on, “Well, Arthur, being the sweet man he was, didn’t get angry. He just looked up at me, all muddy and forlorn, and said, ‘Agnes, if you’re going to laugh at me every time I do something silly, this isn’t going to work.’”
The reporter paused her writing, a slightly confused look on her face. This wasn’t quite the heartwarming secret she was expecting.
Agnes leaned in further, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “And that’s when I made a promise to him, right there by that muddy creek.”
Arthur nodded, his eyes twinkling now. “She did.”
“I promised him,” Agnes declared dramatically, “that from that day forward, I would never laugh at him again.”
The reporter looked up, her pen poised, finally ready for the big reveal. “And… and you kept that promise?” she asked breathlessly.
Agnes smiled sweetly at Arthur. “Oh yes, dear. I haven’t laughed at him since.”
The reporter beamed. “That’s amazing! Such dedication! So, the secret is never to laugh at your husband?”
Agnes paused, a mischievous glint returning to her eye. She looked at Arthur, then back at the reporter. “Well, not out loud anyway.”
Arthur burst out laughing, a hearty, booming sound that filled the room. “That’s my Agnes,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “Seventy years, and she still gets me.”
The reporter, slightly bewildered but smiling nonetheless, wrote down the final words: “The secret to a long and happy marriage: Never laugh at your husband out loud.”