Relatable situations. In stories like 'The Little Red Hen', children can understand the concept of fairness. The hen's situation of doing all the work while others are lazy is something kids might see in their own lives, and the way it's presented is humorous.
Another funny classic is 'Caps for Sale'. The peddler with his stack of caps has his caps stolen by monkeys who then imitate his every move. His attempts to get his caps back are full of humor, like when he tries to scare the monkeys by shaking his fist at them but they just copy him.
They often have a simple setup. Just a few characters or a single situation is enough. For instance, in the story of the snail getting mugged by turtles, there are only three characters involved. And humor can come from wordplay too. Sometimes, a play on words can create a really funny moment in a humorous short story. They also tend to be relatable in some way, even if the situation is very strange, like the man thinking he was a chicken which can make us think about how our minds can play tricks on us.
They often have unexpected twists. Such as in the story 'A man told his doctor that he wasn't able to do all the things around the house that he used to do. When the examination was over, he said, 'Now, Doc, I can take it. Tell me in plain English what is wrong with me.' 'Well, in plain English,' the doctor replied, 'you're just lazy.' Here, the doctor's response is the unexpected part.
One popular children's humorous short story is 'The Little Red Hen'. In this story, the hen does all the work to make bread while the other animals refuse to help but then want to share the bread at the end. It's humorous because of the lazy animals' reactions. Another is 'Caps for Sale', where a peddler has his caps stolen by monkeys and his attempts to get them back are quite funny. And 'Silly Sally' is also great. Sally goes to town in a very silly way, walking backwards and upside down, which always makes kids laugh.
Humorous fiction children's books typically have a few key characteristics. First, the characters are usually very relatable yet comical. Kids can see parts of themselves or people they know in these characters, but with a humorous spin. Second, the situations are often absurd. Things happen that would never occur in real life but are so funny in the context of the book. Third, the illustrations, if there are any, also add to the humor. They might show funny expressions or actions that enhance the overall comical effect.
Many of these stories use repetition. In 'There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly', the repeated lines like 'I don't know why she swallowed the fly' are very catchy. This repetition makes the story engaging for children and adds to the humor as the old lady swallows more and more absurd things.
The characters in classic German children's stories are often complex. For instance, in 'The Fisherman and His Wife', the wife is both greedy and ambitious. The stories also typically have a plot that builds up suspense. In 'Rumpelstiltskin', the girl is in a race against time to figure out the little man's name. And they are rich in cultural details specific to Germany, which can give children an understanding of German culture and traditions.
One characteristic is the use of vivid characters. For example, characters like Mullah Nasruddin are often full of quirks and idiosyncrasies that lead to humorous situations. They might be overly confident or a bit naive, which makes their actions and reactions funny.
One characteristic is unexpected twists. For example, in 'The Gift of the Magi', the couple's sacrifices lead to a situation that is both funny and touching in an unexpected way. Another is the use of exaggerated characters. In 'The Ransom of Red Chief', the boy's naughtiness is highly exaggerated, which creates the humor. Also, clever wordplay can be a part of it, like in some of Mark Twain's stories where he plays with language to make the reader laugh.
They often have unexpected twists. In many humorous short stories, like those of O. Henry, the ending takes the reader by surprise. This sudden turn creates humor as it defies the reader's expectations.