Flip-chart stand joke

I came across an email circulated around the university department which I was attached to for my last study-stint.
I cracked up when I read it.
It was in response to another email from someone asking if anyone had seen any flip-chart stands lurking around the department, as they all seemed to have disappeared.
The response from that academic colleague was as follows ...

"My book of Native Office Equipment says:

"Flip Chart Stands belong to the Tripod family and hence are very slow-moving, particularly on stair cases. They are gregarious but also very shy. Consequently you might find a whole tangle of tripods hiding in a cupboard or skip.They can sometimes be tempted out by the scent of a whiteboard pen, but be warned. If they are cornered, they are quite likely to trip you up with one of their prehensile legs, or to crush you by collapsing on top of you.

Do not attempt to approach them during the mating season as they become quite unstable when trying to get their leg(s) over.""

Another response to it following that was:

"I think you are mistaken, flip chart stands belong to the biped family, they are just very well endowed."

Academics in that department are generally witty and jovial, so in the time I was there, I've always enjoyed reading email-responses like that! :o)