Friends in Need Ship's Company, Part 2.

"Friends in Need" by W. W. Jacobs is a funny story that looks at friendship and lying. The story happens in England in the early 1900s, and it's about a group of friends and a pretend sad event. Mr. Joseph Gibbs, the main person, makes everyone think he drowned so he can get away from his problems. His friends are very sad and try to collect money for his wife. While they are doing this, Mr. Gibbs is having fun being free. The story gets even funnier when his friends try to bring him back without his wife finding out he's not really dead. Everything goes wrong for Gibbs, and the story ends in a funny way when his wife decides to move on, thinking her husband is really gone. The story uses funny talk and shows how silly people can be.