Jackie:
The others on this board may come to curse your name. I have a very large collection of shaggy dog stories, and you've just given me "license" to post some of my favorites. Here's an old faithful to start us off. It's a bit PUC, but the story doesn't work without it.
TEd
Dust devils swirled around Laughing Cloud as she waddled proudly down the row of tepees, her hands crossed contemplatively above her swelling abdomen. It's time, she thought to herself. My new son will one day be war chief of this tribe. She soon reached the large tepee where Cold Hands Shaking, the famous Cheyenne medicine man, delivered babies on a regular basis.
"It is time," she declared to Cold Hands Shaking, gasping as another contraction gripped her.
The medicine man moved his hands over her belly, poking and prodding gently. He nodded and smiled reassuringly. "I think you will have twins. Good fortune for the tribe. It will mean good hunting for many years. Come, let us make you comfortable. It's going to be a busy day, there are two others who will deliver this day."
Inside the delivery tepee, there were three large screened off areas. Cold Hands Shaking led Laughing Cloud to the largest of the three and bade her to lie down on the large tanned hide which dominated the space.
Racked though she was with pain, Laughing Cloud immediately noticed the strange text ure of the hide on which she was lying. "What manner of animal is this?" she asked.
"Do you remember when the Wild West Show was traveling across the prairies three summers ago? One of their strange animals died, and Buffalo Bill gave me the hide. It is called hippopotamus. I wish I had hides like it for the other areas, but there I have only buffalo and elk hides. Excuse me, I have to check on the others."
Later that morning Snow Comes Again delivered a 6-pound baby boy. At noon Elk Calf also had a 6-pound baby boy. And late in the evening Laughing Cloud had twin 6-pound baby boys. Which proves once again that the sons of the squaws of the other two hides is equal to those of the squaw of the hippopotamus.
