Humping with Howdy

[This story was submitted in one piece by the author. It has been divided into multiple chapters to provide compatibility with wider range of browsers, so chapter limits have no meanings. Storiesonline]

Author's Notes: If you're not already member of the Peanut Gallery, this story will surely seem obscure. Puppet sexuality? If you're a Howdy Doody fan, do read on.

As always, readers' comments are well appreciated. I hope I'm making fewer literary goofs. I worked really hard to get the facts in this story correct. Everything I say about the TV show, the movies, etc., I think is true, anyway. If you're a Howdy scholar (which I'm not), you can check the dates, etc. and keep me honest. Does my effort qualify as "historical fiction", something I'd like to try? It takes lots of work to fit a made-up tale to recorded history. But is sure is fun. But is this Mrs. Thornton even fictitious, other than probably a name change? I'm not admitting anything, other than I typed it.

There's a poem before "Afterthoughts". I'm pretty pleased how it rhymes out, I must admit. Complain about anything you like, but please, not my poem. Poets are granted extra license.