A Question of Nomenclature

"But that's not a gauntlet," Fred objected.

"It would sound silly if I said that I was throwing down the banana skin. You have to use your imagination." The audience laughed again.

"Throw down the melon if you really want to get his attention!" someone yelled, which got the biggest laugh so far.

Astra turned to stare at the heckler for a moment, and then turned back towards Fred. Whether by accident or design, she trod on her own discarded banana skin. She slowly did the splits, and finished up sitting on the stage with one leg splayed out to the left and one to the right. The audience howled with laughter.

Fred was sure that she must have done herself a nasty injury, and was about to ask her if she was all right, when he saw her wink at him. She must be remarkably supple not to have come to harm.

She extended her hand towards him and, ever the gentleman, Fred bent over and extended his own hand to help her up. Not wishing to catch him unawares with what she planned to do next, and thus risk hurting him, Astra whispered: "Prepare to be thrown!"

Sure enough, as they clasped hands Astra tugged as hard as she could and, with Fred's connivance, sent him flying over her head. He relaxed his muscles to avoid injury, and also dropped his knife as he didn't want to risk cutting himself.

Fred and Astra clambered back to their feet, their "costumes" now considerably the worse for wear. Deciding that the two of them had better get off stage before they (the costumes) disintegrated altogether, Astra bowed and said: "Thank you for your forbearance. You've been an excllent audience. Goodnight!" Meanwhile Fred was retrieving his knife.

1. Fred and Astra left the stage to great applause.
2. But the lord raised his hand. "No!" he called. "You've been on stage for no time at all. I want more."

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