"I don't know how I let you two talk me into this," said a nervous Newly, who had just been forced to strip one of his boots and put his bare foot onto the table.

"It'll be fun, Mr. Newly!" said Merry Florene, cheerily.

Newly pursed his lips and looked warily at Festus, who was snickering at him.

Newly was terrified at the thought of being tickled, but Merry Florene had convinced him via hugs and kisses. What made the situation worse was the fact that Festus, of all people, was hanging around to taunt him.

Festus squeezed Newly's bare foot and examined it. "Ooh…thet's one whopper-sized sausage of a foot!"

"Cut it out, Festus," Newly muttered, looking very uncomfortable.

Merry Florene giggled and reached into the pocket of her dress. She produced a long feather and waved it around.

"Festus, you may have to hold him down," she said playfully.

Newly held his breath and prepared himself, but the second that feather brushed against his sole, he lost all control of himself and the laughter poured out.

Festus pinned Newly's leg down on the table, so he couldn't pull his foot away. Merry Florene stroked the feather up and down the poor man's arch and along his toes.

Newly was hysterical with laughter. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! PLEASE! AAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STOHOHOHOP!"

"Coochie coochie!" teased Merry Florene.

"Why, I declare! Never before have I seen a man this ticklish!" chuckled Festus.

Newly pleaded for mercy through his laughter. He swung and punched at Festus's back, trying to free his foot. The last time Newly had been foot tickled was by Miss Kitty. When she was tickling him, Newly had kicked her. He felt awful about it. But the idea of hitting or kicking Festus, didn't make him feel that bad at all.

"NO MORE! AHAHAHAHAHAHA! I CAN'T TAKE IT!" Newly shrieked, as his face turned bright red and his black hair stuck to his forehead with sweat.

"Tell me that you love me!" Merry Florene was feeling especially cruel right now.

"OKAY! EEHAHAHAHAHAHA! I LOVE YOU!"

Merry Florene grinned. "That's a good fella."

Then she stopped tickling and put the feather back in her pocket. Festus groaned in annoyance.

"Let's get him again!" Festus begged, still holding Newly's ankle.

"No, Festus." Merry Florene shook her head. "Can't you see the poor boy is all tuckered out? I think he's had enough for now."

"Yep…I reckon."

Then Festus released Newly's ankle, but was a bit reluctant to do so.

Gasping for breath, Newly yanked his foot away and quickly put his boot back on.