The Penance

[squiffy2]

As soon as she had finished convent school, a bright young girl named
Lena shook the dust of Ireland off her shoes and made her way to New
York where before long, she became a successful performer in show
business.

Eventually she returned to her home town for a visit and on a Saturday
night went to confession in the church where she had always attended as
a child.

In the confessional Father Sullivan recognized her and began asking her
about her work. She explained that she was an acrobatic dancer, and he
wanted to know what that meant.

She said she would be happy to show him the kind of thing she did on
stage. She stepped out of the confessional and within sight of Father
Sullivan, she went into a series of cartwheels, leaping splits,
handsprings and back flips.

Kneeling near the confessional, waiting their turn, were two middle-
aged ladies. They witnessed Lena's acrobatics with wide eyes, and one
said to the other, "Will you just look at the penance Father Sullivan
is givin' out this night, and me without me bloomers on...!"

[Snurfen]

Three hail mary's, my son. And two cartwheels and a flik-flak. (no cheating with those sticks either, fella)