Lester walked onto the stage and offered one word about everyone’s performance, “Exhilarating!” Realizing that he was the next act, the porcupines, owls, and Chickie scooted off in celebration, leaving him the stage. Lester gave one last look at his joke journal, slid it into the pocket of his shirt, and then signaled to Curt and Tan that he was ready.
A guitar shredded a lightning fast lick from the orchestra pit, snapping the audience back to attention.
As Curt and Tan drew back, they revealed Lester sitting with one knee up, rubbing his chin in a thinking man’s pose. After several seconds in deep thought, he slowly turned his head to the audience. His eyes widened, his jaw dropped, and he jumped to his feet with a gasp. “Yowser, how long have you guys been sitting there?” He asked, his face contorted in a state of shock. The audience started to laugh. “Aw, I’m just joking with you. I knew you were there the whole time, except for that guy,” he said, pointing to a long, green snake in the second row. “I think he might have just slithered in.” The laughter grew louder.
“Much to my surprise, they added a roundabout to get on stage for this show,” Lester continued while walking in a circle. “It really threw me for a loop.” The punchline brought claps and whistles. Sensing the momentum, Lester rolled into his next joke. “I was the victim of a surprise birthday party last week. Although having all my friends jump out at me in the dark was startling, and to be honest completely terrifying, it was the bucket of Play-Doh they gave me that surprised me the most.” The audience was clearly intrigued as to where this joke was headed. Lester delivered the laughs with, “I just don’t know what to make out of it.”
While the laughter roared, Lester launched into his final joke. “I was practicing my juggling act at home the other day when there was a knock at the door. When I opened the door, to my complete surprise, there was a shiny silver, kitchen sink! The sink started talking to me, so, being the courteous person I am, I listened to it. It said, ‘I hear you have everything in there but me.’” Lester paused before delivering the punchline. “So…I let that sink in.” Everyone rose to their feet as whistles and boisterous cheers bounced off the dome. Lester filled with feelings of success and accomplishment. He gave a low bow to the audience, and then he noticed something slide up against his shoe. As he stood up, he realized it was a rose. Several more landed around him. He had never had anything but rotten food thrown at him during a performance. He gathered the roses into a fragrant bouquet that he shoved into his face. He took a sniff so powerful that several petals went straight up his nose. Curt and Tan slowly came together as Lester gave one final bow to the adoring crowd.
Tan stretched out a long branch, wrapped it around Lester’s shoulders and drew him closer. “You really brought your A-game to that performance!”
Curt started, “You were stage…”
“…frightless!” finished Tan.
All three started to laugh as rose petals shot out of Lester’s nose like confetti. “I’m glad I got the stage fright out of my system before the show with you two by my side! I mean, literally, holding me up from each side!” Their laughter grew louder as one final rose petal escaped from Lester’s nose.
Lester absorbed all the wonderful feelings he was experiencing, and then he noticed Funny bouncing towards him. “What are you doing here? I’m so surprised to see you!” he exclaimed as she latched onto his leg with a forceful hug.
“You were so great! That was the funniest act I’ve ever seen!” she said through a vibrant smile.
Lester broke the blossom off of one of his roses, tucked it behind Funny’s ear, and said, “It’s just as beautiful as you are, friend.” He then noticed the nine-tier cake at the edge of the stage. “Come on, let’s help this beaver get his cake set up for his act.”
As they approached the cake, Lester spotted Chickie. She was holding her stomach and still jiggling with laughter. “BAWK! BAWK! I’m still letting your joke ‘sink in!’” she wailed. Lester shot her a wink and then introduced Funny. The three helped push the towering cake into position and then headed backstage.
Lester walked onto the stage and offered one word about everyone’s performance, “Exhilarating!” Realizing that he was the next act, the porcupines, owls, and Chickie scooted off in celebration, leaving him the stage. Lester gave one last look at his joke journal, slid it into the pocket of his shirt, and then signaled to Curt and Tan that he was ready.
A guitar shredded a lightning fast lick from the orchestra pit, snapping the audience back to attention.
As Curt and Tan drew back, they revealed Lester sitting with one knee up, rubbing his chin in a thinking man’s pose. After several seconds in deep thought, he slowly turned his head to the audience. His eyes widened, his jaw dropped, and he jumped to his feet with a gasp. “Yowser, how long have you guys been sitting there?” He asked, his face contorted in a state of shock. The audience started to laugh. “Aw, I’m just joking with you. I knew you were there the whole time, except for that guy,” he said, pointing to a long, green snake in the second row. “I think he might have just slithered in.” The laughter grew louder.
“Much to my surprise, they added a roundabout to get on stage for this show,” Lester continued while walking in a circle. “It really threw me for a loop.” The punchline brought claps and whistles. Sensing the momentum, Lester rolled into his next joke. “I was the victim of a surprise birthday party last week. Although having all my friends jump out at me in the dark was startling, and to be honest completely terrifying, it was the bucket of Play-Doh they gave me that surprised me the most.” The audience was clearly intrigued as to where this joke was headed. Lester delivered the laughs with, “I just don’t know what to make out of it.”
While the laughter roared, Lester launched into his final joke. “I was practicing my juggling act at home the other day when there was a knock at the door. When I opened the door, to my complete surprise, there was a shiny silver, kitchen sink! The sink started talking to me, so, being the courteous person I am, I listened to it. It said, ‘I hear you have everything in there but me.’” Lester paused before delivering the punchline. “So…I let that sink in.” Everyone rose to their feet as whistles and boisterous cheers bounced off the dome. Lester filled with feelings of success and accomplishment. He gave a low bow to the audience, and then he noticed something slide up against his shoe. As he stood up, he realized it was a rose. Several more landed around him. He had never had anything but rotten food thrown at him during a performance. He gathered the roses into a fragrant bouquet that he shoved into his face. He took a sniff so powerful that several petals went straight up his nose. Curt and Tan slowly came together as Lester gave one final bow to the adoring crowd.
Tan stretched out a long branch, wrapped it around Lester’s shoulders and drew him closer. “You really brought your A-game to that performance!”
Curt started, “You were stage…”
“…frightless!” finished Tan.
All three started to laugh as rose petals shot out of Lester’s nose like confetti. “I’m glad I got the stage fright out of my system before the show with you two by my side! I mean, literally, holding me up from each side!” Their laughter grew louder as one final rose petal escaped from Lester’s nose.
Lester absorbed all the wonderful feelings he was experiencing, and then he noticed Funny bouncing towards him. “What are you doing here? I’m so surprised to see you!” he exclaimed as she latched onto his leg with a forceful hug.
“You were so great! That was the funniest act I’ve ever seen!” she said through a vibrant smile.
Lester broke the blossom off of one of his roses, tucked it behind Funny’s ear, and said, “It’s just as beautiful as you are, friend.” He then noticed the nine-tier cake at the edge of the stage. “Come on, let’s help this beaver get his cake set up for his act.”
As they approached the cake, Lester spotted Chickie. She was holding her stomach and still jiggling with laughter. “BAWK! BAWK! I’m still letting your joke ‘sink in!’” she wailed. Lester shot her a wink and then introduced Funny. The three helped push the towering cake into position and then headed backstage.