Curt and Tan opened to an empty stage. The audience looked around in confusion. Chickie looked up at Oakly and asked, “Do you see anything?”
“Nope. No one is up there,” he replied, lifting her to his shoulder so she could see for herself.
A spirited banjo riff twanged from the orchestra, and two skunks strutted out from opposite sides of the stage in black cowboy hats. Spurs jangled on their boots. When they reached center stage, they both turned to face the audience and tipped their hats.
“Howdy, folks! I’m Stinkerbell,” began the first skunk. “I reckon I’m the most revolting musk-slinger in these here parts.”
“Balderdash! I’m Eureaky, and I AM the most revolting musk-slinger in these here parts,” countered the second skunk.
Stinkerbell snorted. “That’s hogwash. There’s no way you can sling stinkier musk than me. You done got my dander up now!”
“Horsefeathers! That’s a taradiddle! You’d better pull in your horns.”
“I reckon I won’t. I challenge you to a duel.”
“Challenge accepted,” announced Eureaky.
“Stop barking at a knot and let’s kick up a row. We’ll start back to back, take five paces, then turn and spray.”
“Fine. Now that we hashed out the rules, I’ll call out the paces.”
“Fine,” agreed Eureaky.
The two skunks lined up back to back at center stage. “One!” called out Stinkerbell, and each skunk took a step, their spurs jangling.
“Two!” The skunks took their next step with swagger.
“Three!” Anticipation grew in the crowd as each skunk stepped forward.
“Four and five!” Stinkerbell rushed the count, arched her back, raised her tail, and launched a foul musk cloud at Eureaky.
“You lily liver!” shouted Eureaky as the noxious cloud curled her nose hairs. She arched her back, raised her tail and returned a spray, hitting Stinkerbell and singeing her whiskers.
“You little varmint!” shouted Stinkerbell. She arched her back, raised her tail and started rapidly spraying.
“You fiddlehead!” retorted Eureaky. She arched her back, raised her tail and started rapidly spraying back. As the two skunks exchanged sprays, the musk cloud grew and the insults flew until they were completely consumed by a thick, repugnant cloud.
The audience could not see the skunks at all any longer but could certainly smell the performance. They pinched their noses, scrunched their faces, and fidgeted in their chairs in complete disgust. “Eeew!” they cried.
Stinkerbell again arched her back and raised her tail, only to discover that she was out of spray. “Aw, rattlesnakes!” she groaned.
“There you ain’t!” taunted Eureaky, sensing victory. She arched her back, raised her tail, and delivered one final spray so pungent that it sent Stinkerbell tumbling backward into Curt.
Curt caught Stinkerbell and propped her upright while holding a branch over his nose. She shook her head furiously to clear her sinuses and then adjusted her hat, pulling it down at a crooked angle.
Stinkerbell sauntered over to Eureaky and accepted her defeat. “I do declare, that was some fancy slingin’. You might be the most offensive musk-slinger in these here parts, at least for tonight.”
“You bamboozled me at the start. It’s only fittin’ that I made a proper comeback,” Eureaky replied. “I mean, I’ve always been the biggest toad in the puddle, so I didn’t have to try that hard.”
“Let me take the starch out of that statement for ya,” Stinkerbell threw back. “Yer not the tall hog at the trough. It’s not my fault that you dilly-dallied on yer draw.”
“Well, if that don’t take the rag off the bush! You can just talk a donkey’s hind leg off, can’t you?” Eureaky said with her paw pushed firmly into her hip.
“Yer as techy as a teased snake for a winner!” Stinkerbell said as she rolled her eyes.
“Aw, sakes alive, yer really stretchin’ the blanket!” Eureaky shouted back.
“You’ve most certainly had too much of your own mustard!” Stinkerbell screamed.
Curt sensed that the bickering had no end in sight. He signaled to Tan, and the two stealthily closed in front of the squabbling skunks. Neither skunk noticed, and the insults continued to fly, muffled from the audience.
The entire theater struggled to overcome the wretched scent of the musk cloud. The dome snapped into action and untangled its branches to let a crisp, clean breeze escort out the foul stench. Once aired out, the dome closed, and the large, white flowers released a sweet, floral mist that everyone eagerly inhaled as a much needed palate cleanser.
Curt and Tan opened to an empty stage. The audience looked around in confusion. Chickie looked up at Oakly and asked, “Do you see anything?”
“Nope. No one is up there,” he replied, lifting her to his shoulder so she could see for herself.
A spirited banjo riff twanged from the orchestra, and two skunks strutted out from opposite sides of the stage in black cowboy hats. Spurs jangled on their boots. When they reached center stage, they both turned to face the audience and tipped their hats.
“Howdy, folks! I’m Stinkerbell,” began the first skunk. “I reckon I’m the most revolting musk-slinger in these here parts.”
“Balderdash! I’m Eureaky, and I AM the most revolting musk-slinger in these here parts,” countered the second skunk.
Stinkerbell snorted. “That’s hogwash. There’s no way you can sling stinkier musk than me. You done got my dander up now!”
“Horsefeathers! That’s a taradiddle! You’d better pull in your horns.”
“I reckon I won’t. I challenge you to a duel.”
“Challenge accepted,” announced Eureaky.
“Stop barking at a knot and let’s kick up a row. We’ll start back to back, take five paces, then turn and spray.”
“Fine. Now that we hashed out the rules, I’ll call out the paces.”
“Fine,” agreed Eureaky.
The two skunks lined up back to back at center stage. “One!” called out Stinkerbell, and each skunk took a step, their spurs jangling.
“Two!” The skunks took their next step with swagger.
“Three!” Anticipation grew in the crowd as each skunk stepped forward.
“Four and five!” Stinkerbell rushed the count, arched her back, raised her tail, and launched a foul musk cloud at Eureaky.
“You lily liver!” shouted Eureaky as the noxious cloud curled her nose hairs. She arched her back, raised her tail and returned a spray, hitting Stinkerbell and singeing her whiskers.
“You little varmint!” shouted Stinkerbell. She arched her back, raised her tail and started rapidly spraying.
“You fiddlehead!” retorted Eureaky. She arched her back, raised her tail and started rapidly spraying back. As the two skunks exchanged sprays, the musk cloud grew and the insults flew until they were completely consumed by a thick, repugnant cloud.
The audience could not see the skunks at all any longer but could certainly smell the performance. They pinched their noses, scrunched their faces, and fidgeted in their chairs in complete disgust. “Eeew!” they cried.
Stinkerbell again arched her back and raised her tail, only to discover that she was out of spray. “Aw, rattlesnakes!” she groaned.
“There you ain’t!” taunted Eureaky, sensing victory. She arched her back, raised her tail, and delivered one final spray so pungent that it sent Stinkerbell tumbling backward into Curt.
Curt caught Stinkerbell and propped her upright while holding a branch over his nose. She shook her head furiously to clear her sinuses and then adjusted her hat, pulling it down at a crooked angle.
Stinkerbell sauntered over to Eureaky and accepted her defeat. “I do declare, that was some fancy slingin’. You might be the most offensive musk-slinger in these here parts, at least for tonight.”
“You bamboozled me at the start. It’s only fittin’ that I made a proper comeback,” Eureaky replied. “I mean, I’ve always been the biggest toad in the puddle, so I didn’t have to try that hard.”
“Let me take the starch out of that statement for ya,” Stinkerbell threw back. “Yer not the tall hog at the trough. It’s not my fault that you dilly-dallied on yer draw.”
“Well, if that don’t take the rag off the bush! You can just talk a donkey’s hind leg off, can’t you?” Eureaky said with her paw pushed firmly into her hip.
“Yer as techy as a teased snake for a winner!” Stinkerbell said as she rolled her eyes.
“Aw, sakes alive, yer really stretchin’ the blanket!” Eureaky shouted back.
“You’ve most certainly had too much of your own mustard!” Stinkerbell screamed.
Curt sensed that the bickering had no end in sight. He signaled to Tan, and the two stealthily closed in front of the squabbling skunks. Neither skunk noticed, and the insults continued to fly, muffled from the audience.
The entire theater struggled to overcome the wretched scent of the musk cloud. The dome snapped into action and untangled its branches to let a crisp, clean breeze escort out the foul stench. Once aired out, the dome closed, and the large, white flowers released a sweet, floral mist that everyone eagerly inhaled as a much needed palate cleanser.