Over many years BBC radio had a literary quiz game called "My Word" in which two teams of two were posed questions. The regular team captains were Frank Muir and Dennis Norden. One of the regular questions involved each team being given a quotation at the start of the show, and the guest team member having to give the correct source, while Frank and Dennis would provide a shaggy dog story ending up with the quote. I have the utmost admiration for their skill, because the audience knew the punch line all the way through and yet the stories were so constructed as to hide the pun. Here are two examples (both I think from Frank who was the master). These are a lot shorter than the originals (which I shall now have to track down in the BBC publications, having been reminded of them).
Two Romans competed against each others at growing flowers. One of the Roman's gave strict instructions to the slaves that the roses be tended carefully, but while he was away, a lazy slave did not water the line of plants allocated to him and they shrivelled up in the sun. Realising he would get into terrible trouble, he sneaked over to the neighbouring villa that night and stole a complete line of roses which he planted in place of the dead ones, not realising that the dead ones were white and the replacements red. The next day when the Roman came to view the display, he saw line upon line of perfect roses, all white apart from a single line of red, and was heard to remark "Our roses arose. Is a row Cicero's?"
Frank was concerned about his neighbour who had a splinter in her bottom, which she got while watching the play which his kids put on his garden. They had formed the seating from planks which they had balanced in rows of increasing height; the first row balanced on bricks, the second on orange boxes, the third on oil drums. Unfortunately the planks had been left out in the garden over the winter, raising the grain, so that when the neighbour shuffled along to make room for someone, she pierced herself on the splinter. It was explained to Frank and his children that this all could have been avoided if they had stored the planks in a dry place over the winter. So if you have tiers, prepare to shed them now!
Rod
