She sat despondently in her empty dance studio

She sat despondently in her empty dance studio snacking on the grapes still in place on her headdress. She needed a Christmas miracle.

"Hello, are you open? I mean is your studio still open or is it closing time?" She waved him in. He was shy. "Hi, I'm Josiah Tatum. Not related. Could you teach me how to dance?" S

ure! Come on in, Josiah," she said with a thousand watt smile. "What kind of dancing would you like to learn?" "Well, I'm kinda old-fashioned. I'd like to waltz," Josiah replied.

She adored ponderous German marching music, and it showed in her teaching of waltzes. "Back straight! Shoulders back!" she shouted, whacking Josiah with a riding crop. "ONE! 2 3"

Josiah sank to one knee then toppled onto his side. "Not the Blue Danube. Please please please not the Blue bloody Danube. I beg... please...not the... Blue..." The dance mistress

stood on her tiptoes and glared down at him. "Strauss is a god. Now dance, my little puppet. Dance!" I rose as if in a trance and watched in horror as I began to sidestep & dip.

Then she hurried away, alarm seizing her face. Everybody else, too, scampered off. I lost my nerve and collapsed on the floor in embarrassment, unable to finish the stupid dance.

But I couldn't face myself and the transplant was rejected.

To save face, I went before a board of directors. "Sorry, I got ahead of myself. It won't happen again," I swore and immediately did a face-plant. I kept my word though.