The Stutterer Jack was in the supermarket when he ran into his old friend, Charlie, whom he hadn't seen in several years. Jack remembered Charlie as having an awful stuttering problem, which had made his life miserable; he couldn't hold down a job and was terribly shy. But Jack and Charlie had always gotten along well. "Charlie! How are ya, old boy?" Jack called out. Charlie looked up, saw Jack, and smiled. "Jack! ... How ... are ... you? ... I ... haven't ... seen ... you ... in ... forever!" "I'm good, Charlie! And hey, it looks like you've cured your stuttering problem!" "Yes ... I ... did, ... Jack, ... thanks ... for ... noticing. ... I ... went ... to ... a ... doctor ... who ... told ... me ... to ... speak ... slowly ... and ... it ... actually ... cured ... my ... stuttering! ... It ... really ... helped ... my ... life... ... I ... was ... finally ... able ... to ... move ... out ... of ... my ... parents' ... house, ... I ... got ... a ... new ... job, ... and ... I ... even ... almost ... got ... married!" "Great news, Charlie! But what's this about ALMOST getting married?" "Well, ... my ... girlfriend ... and ... I ... were ... sitting ... on ... the ... porch ... swing ... with ... her ... new ... puppy. ... The ... dog ... was ... scratching ... his ... ear ... with ... his ... hind ... leg. ... I ... turned ... to ... my ... girlfriend ... and ... I ... said, ... "Gee, ... honey, ... when ... we ... get ... married, ... you ... can ... do ... that ... to ... me!" "That sounds sweet! What happened?" "Well, ... by ... the ... time ... I ... finished ... saying ... it, ... the ... dog ... was ... licking ... its ... balls."