An important part of the storyteller's art is the comic story. Whether a folk tale or modern fiction, the comic story provides laughs and relief from the sometimes overbearing seriousness of survival. "The Hurkle Is a Happy Beast" is a comic story, full of silly remarks and misdirections, and it has a happy, light tone that belies its serious theme. The story provides a pleasant diversion, and if its audience is so inclined, provides some food for thought.

Sturgeon employs a deft bit of misdirection at the start of "The Hurkle Is a Happy Beast." The story looks as though it will take place on Lirht. The gwik, who seem to be the planet's lone civilized species, are in the middle of some political turmoil: "a gwik named Hvov, whom you may immediately forget, blew up a building which was important for reasons we cannot understand...