A rather demanding wife returned home after a long trip abroad was met at the airport by her husband.
Her first question was: “How is the cat?”
“Dead” replied her husband.
His wife erupted angrily. “What a way to break the news”, she said. “Why couldn’t you tell me something like, well, the cat was playing on the roof, say, and it slipped off injured itself and although you took it to the vet it eventually passed away quietly. Why not break the news that way and not be so brutal about it.
Mother always said you were brutal.
By the way, how is Mother?
“Well”, said her husband slowly.
“She was playing on the roof”