The Bricklayer's Lament (aka The Sick Note, and Why Paddy's Not at Work Today)has been dicussed here in various threads over the years.

It was the subject of a BBC Radio 4 programme this week. This relates how Gerard Hoffnung came across the story, examines its possible origins (he didn't write it himself as I had thought), and concludes with Hoffnung telling the tale to the Oxford Union. It can be found on iPlayer here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01lsqk6/The_Bricklayers_Lament/ at least for UK listneners, or there is currently a direct link to it from the BBC Home Page.

Marje