The comparison of reviews with children’s diseases is based in the first place upon their susceptibility to attack shortly after they have seen the light of the world. Whether this makes it witty I do not trust myself to decide. But when the comparison is continued, it is found that the later fates of the new books may be represented within the scope of the same or by means of similar comparisons. Such a continuation of a comparison is undoubtedly witty, but we know already to what technique it owes its witty flavor; it is a case of _unification_ or the establishment of an unexpected association. The character of the unification, however, is not changed by the fact that it consists here of a relationship with the first comparison. _Doubt in Witty Comparisons_ In a series of other comparisons one is tempted to ascribe an indisputably existing witty impression to another factor which again in itself has nothing to do with the nature of the comparison. These are comparisons which are strikingly grouped, often containing a combination that sounds absurd, which comes into existence as a result of the comparison. Most of Lichtenberg’s examples belong to this group. “It is a pity that one cannot see the _learned bowels_ of the writers, in order to find out what they have eaten.” “_The learned bowels_” is a confusing, really absurd attribute which is made clear only by the comparison. How would it be if the witty impression of this comparison should be referred entirely and fully to the confusing character of their composition? This would correspond to one of the means of wit well known to us, namely, representation through absurdity. Lichtenberg has used the same comparison of the imbibing of reading and educational material with the imbibing of physical nourishment. “He thought highly of _studying in his room_ and was heartily in favor of _learned stable fodder_.” The same absurd or at least conspicuous attributes, which as we are beginning to notice are the real carriers of the wit, mark other comparisons of the same author. “_This is the weatherside of my moral constitution, here I can stand almost anything._” “Every person has also his _moral backside_ which he does not show _except under the stress of necessity_ and which he covers as long as possible with the _pants of good-breeding_.”