A New York Times story about the scientific study of laughter starts with a joke about two muffins baking in an oven.

After delivering the punch line, the writer supposes that the "alleged joke" likely did not make his readers laugh.

In my case, the writer was correct. But it did make me smile, because I knew I had another silly joke to share with my daughters.

Children have a natural affinity for repeating and laughing at some of the dumbest jokes ever composed. I scanned the entire article searching in vain for a scientific explanation for this phenomenon.

The article quotes scholarly researchers who conclude that the brain has "ancient wiring to produce laughter." The wiring reportedly sprang from a survival instinct young animals use to reassure other animals they're playing instead of fighting.

I can accept that, but what kind of ancient wiring drives the knock-knock-banana joke? I have never met a child who didn't love the knock-knock-banana joke — the one that painfully prolongs the "who's there?" punch line with banana after banana before finally delivering the zinger: "Orange you glad I didn't say banana?"

Kids will go back to the knock-knock-banana joke again and again — even when it's obvious they have yet to grasp the simple word play that is the joke's essence.

Knock-knock-banana doesn't come around as often as it once did at our house.

But we have two lesser-known corny jokes that remain fresh.

We have the "rude, interrupting cow," another knock-knock joke. Before the recipient gets halfway through "rude, interrupting cow who?" the comic cuts him off with a startling "MOO!"

And we have the ever-popular "duck-walks-into-an-ice-cream-parlor" joke.

Whenever I read a bedtime story for our 6-year-old, Carly Grace, she insists on capping it off with the duck joke.

The same duck walks into the same ice cream parlor at the same time for days, hops up on the counter and asks, "Ya' gotny corn?"

The clerk becomes increasingly angry at having to explain, day after day, that the shop serves only ice cream and various ice-cream-based desserts.

At his wit's end, the clerk warns the duck that if he ever comes back asking for corn, "I'm gonna nail your feet to the counter."

The next day, right on time, the duck comes back, hops onto the counter and says, "Ya' gotny nails?"

"No!" barks the clerk, somewhat surprised. "I don't have any nails!"

"Good," the duck says. "Ya' gotny corn?"

The morning after I read the New York Times muffin joke, I couldn't wait to share it with Carly.

Two muffins are baking in an oven. One says, "Wow! It sure is hot in here."

"Holy cow!" says the other muffin. "A talking muffin!"

Nothing.

After a long pause, she asked, "Are there really two muffins baking in the oven?"

"No," I said, "it's a joke."

"That's the dumbest joke I ever heard," Carly said.

I knew she'd like it.

Mark Rutledge can be contacted at mrutledge@coxnc.com