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#1: Water Fight Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US

Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:47 pm
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Given that it seems to be overwhelmingly hot & sticky on both sides of the Atlantic, I thought I'd post this. It was originally submitted for the 2004 summer gather, but I don't think it ever reached a web site. I understand a massive water fight did occur though!

Water fight

The girls looked on in horror
At what they had just done.
It never should have happened.
Why, the odds were twelve to one
That Miss Annersley would be there
At that fateful hour and day
When Evadne climbed the chestnut
And hollered, “Bombs away!”

The girls had been forbidden
An excursion on the lake,
For an ominous horizon
Had warned Bill a storm would break,
But the atmosphere was torrid,
And the sun glared blazing hot,
And their tempers wanted cooling
When the middles hatched their plot.

They’d sneaked out in their bathing things
With buckets and with cans
And a roll of grease-proof paper
And a set of wicked plans,
For they’d heard that paper boxes
Made a satisfying splat
If flung when filled with water
And proposed a grand combat.

Now they knew that retribution
Would be quick and would be dire.
They’d not only broken school rules
But provoked headmistress ire.
They looked on in stupefaction,
Horror turning to despair,
As brown dye trickled down her face
And left behind grey hair.

Footnotes

1. This was written in response to a challenge that involved choosing from a set of possible first lines. I wickedly added an "on" for better scansion.

2. Dedicated to Mrs. Giblin, whose hair dye really did trickle away in a rainstorm during a Girl Scout hike to the Old Mill, circa 1966.

3. Dad was making the above boxes in the thirties, so they’re not really anachronisms. See also Arthur Ransome, who remarks that Peggy was a dab hand at paper boxes, even if she did use them as cricket cages rather than water bombs.

4. Boxes aka water bombs must be flung immediately after loading, lest they disintegrate in one’s hands. Hence intelligent combatants will have a bucket of water and a large supply of pre-folded bombs ready before hostilities commence. (Water balloons were a great technological advance. Not to mention super-soakers!)

5. A shocking number of web sites now call these things “water bombs” instead of “paper boxes.” For instructions, see: here. If they're to be used as actual water bombs, I would use what we call "waxed paper" -- stuff used to wrap sandwiches before the rise of plastic wrap. I think this is what you all call greaseproof paper.

Edited because I can't seem to get the link right.

Last edited by Kathy_S on Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:55 pm; edited 4 times in total

#2: Author: KathrynW, Location: London

Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:50 pm
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*giggles*

Thank you Kathy, that was brilliant and just what we need on a day like today!

#3: Author: Róisín,

Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:52 pm
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Gorgeous Kathy! *ponders swimming now*

#4: Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries

Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 2:25 am
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*giggling*

That's fantastic - thank you Kathy!

#5: Author: janem, Location: Ash, Surrey

Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:52 am
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Exellent. Enjoyed that hugely

#6: Author: Nell, Location: London, England

Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 9:44 am
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Wonderful - thank you Kathy!

And yes there was a rather wet and wild water fight...

#7: Author: Josie, Location: London

Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 12:46 pm
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*g* loved that!

thanks Kathy

#8: Author: MaryR, Location: Cheshire

Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 8:23 pm
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Miss Annersley? Grey hair? Shocked

That *torrid* atmosphere and the frayed tempers was just like school today. Laughing

Thanks, Kathy.

#9: Author: Pat, Location: Doncaster

Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 9:40 pm
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A wonderful water fight! Wish we could have repeated it today! We could all bring our pistols this year!!!!

#10: Author: Pado, Location: Connecticut, USA

Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 1:03 am
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::snort::

Next you'll be telling me that Miss Annersley wore contact lenses. Very Happy

#11: Author: Pat, Location: Doncaster

Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 9:15 pm
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I don't think there were any back then!

#12: Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England

Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 11:48 am
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Laughing

Thanks, Kathy

#13: Author: Alice, Location: London, England

Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:49 pm
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Giggle.
I remember making water bombs (wll that what I called them). It was fun.

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