Show Over!

Many years ago, an old woman prospector shuffled into a dusty Texas town leading a tired old mule. In dire need of supplies, she headed straight for the general store for supplies. Once there, she tied up her old mule and reached for her canteen to quench her parched throat.

Suddenly, a young gunslinger stepped out of the saloon. He had a gun in one hand a bottle of whiskey in the other. When he saw the old woman, he decided it was time to have himself a little fun at her expense.

“Hey, old woman,” he hollered.

The woman finished her drink and draped her canteen back on her mule.

“I’m talking to you,” the gunslinger said. “Lookahere, have you ever danced?”

The older lady met his gaze. “Nope,” she said, “I never did dance, never really wanted to…”

By this time a crowd had begun to gather, which only served to goad the gunslinger into ratcheting up his harassment. “Well, now,” he said. “This here is your lucky day. I reckon you’re going to learn to dance right now.” And with that he started shooting at the old woman’s feet.

Not wanting to get a toe blown off, the old prospector started hopping around from foot to foot while the crowd laughed nervously. She kept it up until the gunslinger fired his last bullet. Show over, he grinned at himself, holstered his gun and turned his back to reenter the saloon.

That would be about the same time the woman tuned to her trusty pack mule, pulled out a double barreled shotgun and cocked both hammers. The loud clicks cut through the desert air, effectively silencing the crowd.

The young gunslinger heard it, too. Ever so slowly he turned around. He wasn’t smiling anymore.

“Son,” the older woman said, “Have you ever kissed a mule full on the lips?”

The gunslinger stared at the large gaping holes of those twin barrels, swallowed hard, and said, “No ma’am, but I have always wanted to.”

Hugs, Shellie