One example is 'The Day the Cat Wore Shoes'. It's about a cat who decides to put on shoes one day and the hilarious chaos that ensues as it tries to walk around the house. Another is 'The Magic Toilet'. In this story, a boy discovers that his toilet has some very strange and funny magical powers.
There's a short story called 'The Invisible Man's Dance Party'. It tells the story of an invisible man who throws a dance party and all the funny misunderstandings that happen because people can't see him but can hear the music and feel the dancing. Also, 'The Talking Banana' is quite funny. A banana starts talking to a man in a grocery store and gives him some very odd advice.
Well, there is a story titled 'The Mischievous Cloud'. In this story, a cloud decides to play pranks on the people below by making it rain only on them or creating strange shapes to scare them. Another one is 'The Singing Squirrel'. A squirrel that can sing opera and the comical situations it gets into while trying to perform in the forest.
A bee went to the doctor. The doctor said, 'You don't look so well.' The bee said, 'I don't feel well. I keep making honey all day long.' The doctor said, 'Well, you are a bee.' The bee replied, 'Yeah, but it's really tiring.' Also, a ghost was feeling lonely so it went to a party. But when it got there, it just passed through the walls and no one could see it. It was really disappointed. So it decided to haunt the party instead. It made some spooky noises and everyone ran away. It was then happy that it got some attention.
A man went to a psychiatrist and said, 'Doctor, I keep thinking I'm a deck of cards.' The psychiatrist replied, 'Sit over there. I'll deal with you later.' This story is funny because of the double meaning of 'deal with' and the absurd situation of the man thinking he is a deck of cards.
There's 'The Enormous Turnip' which is quite humorous as all the characters try to pull out the huge turnip. And then there's 'Caps for Sale', a story about a peddler and some naughty monkeys that steal his caps. The monkeys' antics are really funny and make it a great bedtime story.
Some of the comical plays by Shakespeare, like 'The Comedy of Errors', can be considered as a source of funny stories. The mix - ups and misunderstandings in the play create a lot of humorous situations. And because Shakespeare's works are in the public domain, you can freely use the stories within them for various non - commercial or even some commercial purposes as long as you follow the proper rules.
Consider this one: 'Bird pooped, car owner fumed. A very relatable and somewhat comical situation for any car owner who has had the misfortune of a bird using their vehicle as a toilet.
There was a story of a couple who went on a hiking trip. The man was always getting lost even with the map. His girlfriend found it hilarious but also a bit annoying. As they finally reached the top of the mountain, the man took out a small box and said 'I may get lost easily, but I will never lose my way to your heart.' It was so romantic and made up for all the funny mistakes along the way.
A lesser - known but still very funny public domain short story is 'The Stolen White Elephant' by Mark Twain. The way Twain describes the search for the elephant and all the chaos that ensues is quite hilarious. Also, 'The Lady, or the Tiger?' by Frank R. Stockton has an element of mystery and humor in the way it presents the dilemma at the end.
One funny short story could be about a clumsy chef who keeps making hilarious mistakes in the kitchen.
One funny short story could be about a person who gets lost in a strange town and has all sorts of hilarious misadventures trying to find their way back.
One example could be from the works of Mark Twain. His short stories like 'The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County' are full of humor. The way he describes the characters and their antics is really funny.