Deaf Frogs Can't Jump

Weeks ago, across enchiladas and pale beers, Amy charms me with the worst joke I've ever heard. Probably unfair to the actual joke, it was inserted into the course of very normal conversation and then buggered on the most critical details, starting with the opening line.

A
Did you know that deaf turtles can’t jump?

S
That doesn’t make any sense.

A
No wait, frogs! I meant deaf frogs can’t jump.

S
I’m interested to see where this goes.

A
A university did a study.

S
Which university?

A
It doesn’t matter, it’s a real university. A good one.

S
I don’t believe you. Is this a real story or a joke?

A
(avoiding the question)
Oh it’s a real university.

S
I bet it is.

A
So this university, they pulled a leg off of a frog and told it to jump and it jumped.

S
How are the frogs able to understand English?

A
They just told it to jump and it did. Then they pulled off another leg and told it to jump and it still did.

S
This is a grotesque study.

A
Then they pulled the last leg off and told to jump and it did.

S
That’s only three legs.

A
Whatever, they pulled them all off and it still tried to jump, but not very well.

S
Was it deaf?

A
Wait a minute, I’m telling this wrong.

S
Which part, exactly, did you tell wrong?

A
Most of it. So this university was testing frogs to see if the deaf ones can jump.

S
Was this for medical purposes?

A
I don’t know, but it’s a good university. And they pulled the legs off of the frog one by one and told it to jump and it tried every time. Then they got a deaf one and told it to jump and it didn’t. So they knew then that deaf frogs can’t jump.

S
You told it exactly the same way the second time.

A
No, that way was the right way.

S
Was that a joke or a real story?

A
Oh man, I laughed my ass off when I heard that joke the first time.