In last week's fun-size Evening Press, young jokers from Derwent Junior School told us their top gags to dispel the myth that Yorkshire folk are dour and humourless.

Then, showing perfect comedy timing, teachers were urged this week to crack more jokes to boost reading skills.

The British Psychological Society said a keen sense of humour helps seven to nine-year-olds progress faster.

Now the Evening Press is calling on the fun-loving folk of North Yorkshire to make us laugh again with their own comic capers.

We want belly laughs, rib ticklers, side-splitters, wise cracks and yarns galore - and the best of them will be published in the pages of your favourite local daily.

To help you on your way, we called on York's top comedian, Rory Motion, to give us his three favourite quick-fire gags.

Rory, 41, has been a professional comedian for more than ten years, and although he is now turning his hand to poetry, he regularly performs at Glastonbury and has toured with top TV comic Frank Skinner.

Gag one:

Two tigers are walking down Oxford Street when one turns to the other and says: "It's quiet isn't it?"

(Rory admitted that this was one was a "slow burner").

Gag Two:

An elephant says to a mouse: "You sure are small aren't you?"

"I know," said the mouse. "But I've been ill."

Gag three:

Why was the sand wet?

A: Because the sea weed.

If you think you can do better than Rory and have a joke you want to share with our readers, send them to David Stanford at the Evening Press, PO Box 29, 76/86 Walmgate, York YO1 1YN.

Please mark envelopes "Jokes" and include your address and daytime telephone number.

The best ones will be printed in the Evening Press.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.