David Herbert Donald: Lincoln loved to tell stories. He would tell stories at the drop of a hat at all occasions. So it was not something that he did just for show, but he just did it naturally. He was a good storyteller, and he enjoyed his own stories. So that, when somebody came to see him, he was often reminded — “That reminds me of a little story.” And he would start talking, and then, as he went along, his face would light up. He usually had a rather somber face. His face would light up, and he showed that remarkable set of white teeth and a huge smile and told the story. And when he got to the punch line, he would often slap his thigh like that, and that’s the way it ended.