by Cully Abrell and John Thompson
If this little gewgaw in the rough weren't so all-out hilarious, it would be tempting to remember that Mad magazine used to do a similar bit called "Ripup's Believe It or Don't." What the heck. Abrell and Thompson, hereby the two most famous people in Peck, Kans., have put together a Ripley's send-up (with appropriate artwork) that stands on its own feats. Some of their revelations, true, false and indifferent: "History tells us that Joan of Arc, known as 'La Poucelle,' was only two hours away from a degree in forestry management"; "There has never been a major world leader named 'Floyd' "; "The worst ice cream flavor is probably 'squirrel' "; "A gentleman in Lothar, Texas, has roped off an adjustable dress form in his attic, claiming it to be an independent republic"; "Many scientists now believe that granulated sugar is alive and can feel pain"; "Halfway around the world is actually farther away than all the way around"; "A newspaper published by ants would consist primarily of obituaries"; "Cosmopolitan though they were, the ancient Vikings had virtually no firsthand knowledge of toast"; "Scientists have isolated a noise made just prior to the 'big bang,' which sounds something like 'oops' "; "Mysteriously, King Tutankhamen's personal effects included a key to a safety deposit box"; "Most of the nutrition in a banana is concentrated in one end." Abrell, from Taylorville, Ill., was teaching at Friends University in Wichita when he met Thompson, a Scotts Bluff, Nebr., native, then a student. They now seem to be gentlemen of leisure—Peck's good ole boys, as it were—which is fine. It gives them time to think up more of these things. (Main Street Press, Pittstown, N.J. 08867, paper, $6.95)
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