I was in Otisville today to visit the hymishe prisoners for Sukkos, and let me tell you, a dank tzi der Basheffer far Otisville (Thank G-d for Otisville).
This time I met Feivish der Fireplace Fabrikant. He tells me: “You know, I have 2 businesses. I make fireplaces and install them to people’s livink rooms, and I’m a real estate investor.”
So I told him: “What are you doing here? Two honest businesses and you should be out working and making money.”
And he tells me: “Well, times are hard so I decided to make my two businesses into one. I take a buildink and make it into a fireplace by openink up der ges-valve and lighting eppes a match oder myne lighter. Den I tells de insurance I need a few new livink rooms because dey blow up and dere’s no more room to put a fireplace.”
And I say to him: “Now I understand. And all I have to say to that is – a dank tzi der Basheffer far Otisville!”
(Another version of my Otisville joke, based on “Thank G-d we’s got penitentiaries” by a certain deceased comedian whose name is best not remembered here.)