Finding themselves with a rare night when they could all get together, the seven Bob-Whites decided to go to the country club for dinner.  They laughed and talked their way through a delicious meal, polishing off the apple crisp with ice cream that was served for dessert.  One of their discussion topics was the local psychiatrist, Dr. Cloud, who had been put under contract as the after-dinner entertainment.  The conversation soon became one joke after another on how psychiatrists get people to do or say stupid things while under hypnosis. When the lights finally dimmed, the Bob-Whites turned their attention to the stage where the psychiatrist was scheduled to appear.

“I wonder if he will hypnotize somebody?” Diana said to the group around the table.

Trixie snorted. “‘Like that is ever real.”

Mart smiled at his sister. “If you’re so sure that it isn’t real,  why don’t you volunteer to be hypnotized?”

“I don't need to volunteer to prove my point.  If you are convinced a person can be hypnotized and told to do silly things, why don’t you volunteer?  Or are you afraid that we won’t be able to tell the difference between an awake Mart and a hypnotized Mart?” Trixie challenged.

“Dear sister,” said Mart, shaking his head, “ who didn’t rat you out to Moms when you came in past your curfew last week?”

Trixie tone sharpened.   “Are you gonna hold that over my head?   Gleeps Mart.”

“Well,” said Mart slowly, “I think your secret would be safe forever if you volunteered to go up on that stage.”

Trixie glared at her  brother.  Looking around the table at the other Bob-Whites, she realized that a challenge had been issued.  “Fine.  I’ll do it.  But this more than covers me missing a curfew.  You’re gonna owe me after this.”

Mart shrugged and again focused on the darkened stage, awaiting the arrival of the psychiatrist.

A short drum roll announced the opening of the evening’s entertainment. The manager of the country club strolled out onto the small stage to introduce Dr. Cloud,  who specialized in hypnotism.  The audience applauded politely as the doctor appeared from behind the maroon velvet curtain.   After a brief explanation about hypnotism and how he gets patients to go under, Dr. Cloud asked for a volunteer from the audience.  Trixie glanced at Mart, who stared at her with a big smile on his face.  Rolling her eyes at her brother’s obvious glee, Trixie tentatively raised her hand.

“And we have a volunteer,” said Dr. Cloud as he encouraged Trixie to come up on the stage, while a smattering of applause could be heard through the room.

Tossing her napkin down on the table, Trixie stood and walked through the narrow aisles between the tables until she reached the stage where  Dr. Cloud held out his hand to assist her climb up.  The two shook hands and introduced themselves to each other.  When Trixie turned to face her friends, she was surprised to find herself blinded by the spotlight and unable to make out any persons sitting in the audience.  Dr. Cloud pulled a comfortable chair closer and asked Trixie to sit down.  When Trixie was seated he asked if she was comfortable.  Trixie nodded and watched as the psychiatrist prepared to hypnotize her.

“Have you ever been put under?”  he asked her.

Trixie shook her head.

“Do you believe that I can put you under?”  he asked.

Trixie hesitated, but again shook her head.  The audience snickered a bit, which caused Trixie to shift uncomfortably  in her chair.

“I love a challenge,” stated Dr. Cloud.  “How about you?”

Trixie again looked into the spotlight, trying to see  her friends in the audience.  “I suppose you could say that I like a challenge too.” she said, surprised at how small her voice sounded.   Even though she couldn’t see her friends, she could definitely hear them laughing at her answer.

/span>

“Let’s get started, shall we?” asked Dr. Cloud.  He instructed Trixie to sit back in the chair and try to relax her muscles, starting with her feet and working her way up her body.  While she was doing this, Dr. Cloud talked to her in a very soothing voice, finally telling her that he was going to count backwards from 20 and when he got to zero, she would be asleep.  As Dr. Cloud began his countdown, the six remaining Bob-Whites watched in complete fascination.  When Dr. Cloud reached zero, the room was still and silent. “Trixie,” he said softly, “can you hear me?”

“Yes,” answered Trixie.

Dr Cloud looked up at the audience.“Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe we have put this young woman under.  Hmmm… what should we ask her to do?”

“Make her cluck like a chicken,” yelled Mart.

“Trixie, you are a chicken.” directed Dr Cloud.  Trixie stood up and began strutting around the stage, pecking toward the floor and making clucking noises.  The crowd roared, but not as loudly as the Bob-Whites did.  “Trixie, stop.”  ordered the Doctor.

Trixie immediately stopped and stood still.

“Now you are a little lamb, frollicking in the meadow,”  he ordered.

Trixie began running around the stage,  trying to bleat, her voice warbling and her limbs flailing.

The crowd applauded, showing  their appreciation.

“Make her march around,” yelled an unknown voice from the shadows of the audience.

“Trixie, march as if you are a soldier,” commanded the Doctor.  Trixie began to march around the stage, but suddenly ducked down.  She pulled out her hand and made it into the shape of a gun, then immediately began firing at the audience , as if returning artillery fire.

“Trixie, you may stop now.” she was told.

Trixie wandered around a bit before the doctor stopped her and asked her gently, “What are you doing Trixie?”

“I’m looking for my tent so I can lay down on my cot.” she answered.

The crowd snickered as the psychiatrist settled Trixie down.

“I want to hear Trixie sing,”  whispered Diana to the group.

“Make her sing,” yelled Dan.

“Trixie, you are a singer,” directed Dr. Cloud.

Trixie took the microphone and began singing “I Love Rock n Roll”, complete with dancing, shaking, and shimmying, as if performing in a rock concert.

“Whoa,” yelled Brian.

“Trixie, stop singing.” ordered Dr. Cloud and then faced the audience.  “This young lady didn’t believe in hypnotism, and yet she has followed all my commands.  Are you convinced that I was able to put her under?”

The audience murmured their approval and  applauded the doctor.

“Make her a banana,” yelled a voice, that sounded slightly intoxicated.

The audience snickered at the ridiculous request.  Dr. Cloud shrugged his shoulders and turned to face Trixie,  “You’re a banana,” he said.

Trixie continued to stand, then suddenly began taking off her clothing.   Jim and Brian gasped while Dan and Marti laughed hysterically.

She’s peeling herself,” choked out Mart, as the tears of laughter rolled down his face.  Dan and Mart high-fived each other, then fell over the table, overcome with the hilarity of the performance.

Jim and Brian rose from their chairs in alarm as Trixie rolled her sweater sleeve down  one arm and then started on the other sleeve.

“Make her stop,” Jim cried out.

Dr. Cloud turned to Trixie and told her to stop and to take a seat in the chair again.  He then instructed Trixie that he was going to count to twenty, and that when he reached that number, she would wake up feeling refreshed and not remember anything except the conversation that the two had shared prior to her being put under.  When Dr. Cloud reached the number twenty, Trixie sat up and looked around.   “So Trixie, do you seriously believe that I cannot hypnotize you?” asked the Doctor.

Trixie nodded her head and the audience roared.

“Thank you young lady,” said the Doctor as he helped Trixie up from the chair and assisted her off the stage.

Trixie returned to her seat at the table.  Glancing around at her friends, she found herself feeling apprehensive as they all looked at her with big grins on their faces.  “What happened?” she whispered to Honey.

Honey looked at Trixie, but couldn’t answer her friend without giggling.

“Come on Honey, what happened?” repeated Trixie.

”Not much,” chortled Mart.  “But if anybody was feeling sad, your act was the perfect remedy for that.”

Trixie’s face paled as she looked at her friends.  “Did I do something stupid?” she whispered.

Trixie looked into the faces of her friends and seeing that each was unable to contain his mirth.   Trixie covered her face with her hands, moaning into them.  “I can’t believe I let Mart talk me into this.  I’ll never live it down,” she groaned.  The Bob-Whites continued to snicker and giggle.  

Trixie abruptly pushed back her chair and stood up.

“Where are you going?” asked Diana, grabbing her arm.

“This night is a disaster.  I’m going to the gym where people don’t mess with me.”

“Oh Trixie, sit down,” Diana pleaded.  “You were great and we all love you.”

Trixie looked at the circle of friends.  She slowly sat down and replaced her napkin on her lap.  

“Was I really that bad?” she asked.

The Bob-whites sincerely wanted to answer their beloved friend, but all they could do was burst into another round of loud laughter that could be heard throughout the country club dining room.

“Paybacks, Mart.  Paybacks.” Trixie warned her snickering brother.

“But so worth it,” said Mart as he held his sides that were sore from so much laughing.