In his essay "How to Tell a Story," Mark Twain says that the difference between telling a humorous story and telling a comic story is has to do with whether the teller acts like he thinks the story is funny or not. In his estimation, telling a humorous story, which is a distinctly American skill, is "strictly a work of art...only an artist can (do) it." The humorous story must be "told gravely;" the teller hides the fact that he even suspects that there is anything funny about it. It might "be spun out to great length, and may wander around as much as it pleases," and the listener must be alert for the "nub," or point of the story, because in many cases the teller will drop it in a way that is "carefully casual and indifferent...with the pretense that he does not know it is a nub."

On the other hand, the teller of the comic story is very clear that he is about to tell "one of the funniest things he has ever heard." In Twain's opinion, comic stories are uniquely British, and, in contrast to the humorous story, anyone can tell them. Twain describes the comic story as being brief, and always ending with a nub. The teller is very clear in identifying the nub of his story, and may repeat it again and again if it is received positively.

Twain does not hold back in expressing his disdain at the primitiveness of the comic story; to him, the humorous story requires much more skill to tell effectively, to the point that he elevates it to an art. It is not accident that he emphasizes the American roots of the humorous story, which, in a tongue-in-cheek manner expresses his opinion that the American way is far superior to the British tradition.

In Mark Twain's essay "How to Tell a Story," what does Twain say is the difference between telling a humorous story and telling a comic story?

Mark Twain claims that the humorous story is one of the most difficult to master. He makes the distinction between the French witty story, the English comic story, and the American humorous story. As an American author, Twain makes specific assertions about the differences between humorous and comic stories. He describes the humorous story as a high art, in which the author manipulates the readers's understanding of what is happening and that wanders into great depths, rather than its shallow counterparts.

The goal of Twain's essay is to convince the reader that a humorous story is superior to the witty and comic stories. He says that anybody can write the latter and that the time of laughter solicited from those types of stories is "pathetic." Furthermore, his assertion that humorous stories were born in the American tradition and can only be written by true artists shows that humorous stories are Twain's preferred type of "funny" story, though the reader may believe that the writer does not think it is funny at all.

When Twain writes, "The humorous story bubbles gently along, the others burst," he illustrates his claim in only a sentence. In essence, a humorous story is one that is artfully done and will stand the test of time, and the other exist only to entertain for a short moment.

In Mark Twain's essay "How to Tell a Story," what does Twain say is the difference between telling a humorous story and telling a comic story?

The very first difference between a humorous story and a comic story that Twain mentions is the difficulty difference between the two stories. Twain says that of all the types of stories that are out there, the humorous story is the only difficult kind of story to tell.

There are several kinds of stories, but only one difficult kind—the humorous.

Next, Twain mentions that humorous stories are American, while comic stories are English, and witty stories are French. Immediately following that statement, Twain tells his readers that humorous stories depend on how they are told, but comic and witty stories depend on the subject matter of the story. The next difference is a possible difference in length. Twain mandates that comic stories are short; however, humorous stories can be of many different lengths. A humorous story can even be long.

The humorous story may be spun out to great length, and may wander around as much as it pleases, and arrive nowhere in particular; but the comic and witty stories must be brief and end with a point.

Probably my favorite difference is the "work of art" difference. Twain says that humorous stories are works of art. This is a huge compliment to the Americans since the humorous story is American. Next, he insults the British and French types of funny stories by saying that they are not art and "anybody can do it."

Additionally, comic stories announce to the audience that the story will be funny, but a humorous story will be told "gravely," and the humor is hidden and emerges as the story progresses.

In Mark Twain's essay "How to Tell a Story," what does Twain say is the difference between telling a humorous story and telling a comic story?

Twain lists eight differences between telling a humorous story and telling a comic one.

1. A humorous story is American and a comic story is British.

2. A humorous story depends on what effect it has on the listener; the comic story depends on details and the fact -- the actual subject matter.

3. A humorous story is told in great length,stinging incongruities and absurditites together and "bubbling gently along"; a comic story is told quickly and gets to the point with a "burst".

4. A humorous story may wander around as much as it pleases, sometimes telling things that have nothing to do with the story and sometimes ending nowhere in particular.  Twain calls it the "slurring of the point" ; the comic story must end with a point to make.

5. Only an artist can tell a humorous story; anyone can tell a comic story.

6. The humorous story is told seriously and often hides the fact that something humorous is in the story; a comic story tells the listener upfront that it is a funny story.  

7.  A pause is an important feature of telling a humorous story; a comic story is  just told without creating any atmosphere.

8. A humorous story will have the teller make little side remarks, as if thinking aloud; the comic story is just told as a story.