After Mohini's wonderful drabble about Joey's shenanigans, I thought you might like to read about another prank that never featured in the books. Some of you will already know the tale, but you can, of course, enjoy it a second time!
Hilda Annersley was deep in her correspondence when there came a timid knock at the study door. Lifting her head, she called “Herein” in German, that being the language of the day, and was mightily surprised to see two very scared Juniors entering.
“Yes, girls?” she murmured with a smile.
Without a word, the two girls crossed the room and one of them handed a note over the desk to Hilda. The hand was trembling, and Hilda cast a quick scrutiny at their worried faces before opening the note. She stilled. One word was scrawled across the paper: ‘HELP!’
Nonplussed, she stared at it a moment, then raised her eyes to look at the two silent girls who, she noticed, had linked hands in fright.
“Did Miss Andrews give you this herself?” she asked.
“Yes, Miss Annersely,” they piped, blinking nervously.
“Can you tell me….?” She stopped, deciding there was no point to her question. Better just to answer the SOS. Somehow, gremlins seemed to have got into the works this term and were giving the school, and its Headmistress, a good old shake-up!
“Come, girls,” she said and rose from her seat. She passed quickly through the door, a ship in full sail, the young girls trotting behind in her wake, like small tugs.
Hilda was consumed with curiosity, whereas the girls were simply consumed with terror at what was to come. The Abbess could scare the living daylights of you when you were naughty – and some people in their form had been very naughty indeed!
Hilda stepped across the threshold of the form room – and stopped dead. It is safe to say that never once, in all her years as Head, had she beheld a scene quite like the one that that now lay before her.
After a moment of numb consternation, she shook her head to clear it and gazed around her.
“Miss Andrews?” she croaked.
Not knowing whether to laugh or weep, Sharlie simply said, “Quite!”
“How?”
Sharlie moved over to her Headmistress. “It appears that no one thought to inform me that Mademoiselle Lenoir was taken ill before Break…..”
Hilda nodded, even though she was unaware of the illness. “I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again. And speak in English, please, so that we all understand each other.” Wrath was gathering on Hilda’s brow and the girls were tempted to edge back out of its range.
“I sat in the staff room marking books, thinking my form were gainfully employed at their music lesson, and returned forty minutes later – to this!” and Sharlie flung her arms wide to encompass it all.
Hilda’s eyes slowly travelled round the room, and then from girl to girl, without a word spoken. Her eyes said it all for her. The miscreants wilted, while the rest tried to pretend they weren’t there. Sharlie herself had to work hard to control her impulse to wild laughter now the Abbess was there to take charge. Never in her wildest imaginings had she dreamt of mischief like this.
The room was freezing, a good half of the girls soaking wet and shivering hard. Both large double windows were open – they opened inwards – and the snow which had been tight pressed against them, from top to bottom, was now hanging into the room and dropping onto the floor in gentle plops. Once there, it melted silently, the icy water meandering where it would. However, the main stream of it led to the back of the room where stood – a snowman!
But not just any snowman! This one had water drip, drip, dripping off him and running in rivulets across the wooden floor in all directions.
Water, water, everwhere, and all the boards did shrink,
Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink.
Hilda wondered rather hysterically why she was thinking of Coleridge’s immortal words at such a moment. It was true they were exceedingly apt, but even so…..
Clearly, the thought of actually being able to go outside, after three days of incarceration caused by the unceasing snow, had gone to the Juniors' heads.
She stilled her quivering lips and continued to gaze in silence on the misshapen being confronting her. His head was beginning to sag sideways. Attached to this leaning head was a school hat. Round his neck was wrapped a now-sodden school scarf. She found herself searching for his gloves and told herself off sternly. The thing had no arms, for goodness sake! He did, however, have a nose and a mouth – someone’s pencils! He also had round, shining eyes. She leaned closer to see. Buttons! Large buttons, off someone’s school coat!
In silence, she observed the snowman. In silence, the girls and Sharlie observed the Abbess. In silence, the snowman tried to observe them all, but failed dismally as his head sank ever lower...
