Ice Skating

The night is clear, cold, and enchantingly silent. Brilliant stars glimmer overhead as two graceful figures glide swiftly over the frozen pond. All is still, harmonious, peaceful.... 'scraaaape, scraaaape'. A nerve-jarring noise shatters the frosty tranquility as a green plastic lawn chair is pushed protestingly along the ice. Behind the chair stumbles a half-frozen Janie, trying to master the fine art of ice skating. Clutching the chair back for dear life, she totters perilously as she stops to watch the other skaters glide effortlessly by. 'Ah well,' she reflects, 'all good skaters had to begin somewhere.' With this encouraging thought, she gives her chair another shove and slithers on.