Title: Shaggy Dog #3: the Trids
Author: Marian 
Category: Humor/parody
Ratings/warnings: G.  If you hate puns, do not read this story.
Pairings: none
Spoilers: none
Disclaimers: The Due South Characters Belong to Alliance.
Teaser: A Shaggy Dog story is a long or short story ending with a, usually
painful, pun or joke.  This one involves sports and religion Archive:
Please archive.

Ray Kowolski had invited his friend Benton Fraser, RCMP, over to his
apartment to watch game 3 of the World Series. After the game was over
Fraser commented: "Ray, is there some social or historical relevance
to some of the gestures used by the members of a baseball team?"
"Like what gestures, Fraze"
"Well, I realize that there are signals and a sign language that elude
me, despite the fact that I am capable of reading American Sign Language.
No, the gestures are more of the type that include spitting, crotch grabbing...
well you get my meaning."
"Ah, c'mon Fraser don't you Canadians have any manly-man type stuff that
guys do? These are things guys do to show the world that they are well,
guys.  And guys spit, fart, scratch, grab themselves to show they are
doing a manly game without worrying what chicks will think."
"Oh, I see.  It is a gender specific exercise that helps establish a
common bond, a camaraderie.  Hhmmmmmm."
"Awright, what's with the Hmmm.  That always freaks me out>"
"Oh, no, Ray I was just reminiscing about the curling team I was on back
when I was in Tuktoyuktuk."
"Curling ain't no sport."
"Quite the contrary Ray and, not unlike your sporting traditions, our
team had it's male bonding rituals.. which reminds me of a funny story."
"Is this story going to take 2 hours?"
"No."

Resigned, Ray knew he had better let Fraser finish this story or it will
keep cropping up during the course of the next million years.
"So what's this story?"
"Well, our team, the Tuktoyuktuk Trids, or Trids for short, had a manly
tradition of lining up. The captain was at the back of the line and he
would proceed to kick the backside of the man in front of him.  He, in
turn kicked the backside of the man in front of him and so on until the
man at the front of the line got kicked.  by tradition our local minister,
would kick the captain. In effect blessing our endeavors.  Now, mind
you, the minister did not get kicked as he was not actually a member
of the Trid team."
"Does this story get funny anytime soon."
"Ray, the humor derives from a cultural misunderstanding.  You see our
minister, in an effort to promote interfaith relations invited a visiting
rabbi to participate in this ritual. The rabbi misunderstood what was
to happen and he got to the front of the line, which by coincidence was
in front of me.  The kicking started, got to me whereupon I saw him bend
slightly as though expecting a kick. Though amused, I did not kick him
and he seemed to take offense saying, "Am I not worthy of receiving the
honor of a kick" and I then had to explain things to him."
"What didja say?"

"Silly rabbi, kicks are for trids."

The End