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The CBB -> St Scholastika's House

#1: The house that Tom built - or did she? Author: Joyce, Location: Hong Kong

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 6:52 am
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(Every time I read the piece below from [i]Fete[/i], my blood boils. I cannot imagine that Tom, nice as she was, meekly agreed. But how did she get out of it without annoying everyone? I made up a solution below.)

[i]The Princess came forward.
“I’d like to say one thing,” she said. “I’ll offer Tom Gay the same amount to make another like it for my girls, the money to go to whatever you’ve made today. Think she’ll do it?”

As one girl the entire school shouted “Rather!”

- The Chalet School Fete[/i]

“ARRRRRR!!!!!,” Tom screamed. Rereading the letter from Miss Annersley again she let out another blood curdling shriek.

“Just WHAT do they think I am?” she fumed. “A damn toy factory?! That house took so much effort to make in time but do they appreciate it? Oh no… they want ANOTHER one! And who the heck is this Princess who wants another house?”

Tom pondered and vaguely remembered the princess was actually an ex-crown princess of Belsornia and a close friend of Mrs Maynard, though Tom privately thought that Mrs Maynard was a ‘close’ friend to everyone.

And wasn’t this princess impoverished? Why did she have hundreds of francs to spend on a toy? What was wrong with a nice charity or two?

Tom composed a brief letter to Miss Annersley. Then braced herself for the reaction.

****

“ARRRRRR!!!!!,” Joey had really let herself go. “What do you mean Tom wont make the house? We’ve already promised it!! What will we tell ‘Veta? Really it’s too bad of her.”

Joey was working herself up into a real fury and mentally assigning Tom to the ‘not close friend’ list.

“Joey,” Miss Annersley said calmly. “WE did not promise it, the school did. And I did feel at the time it was asking too much of her.

“However, I thought that everyone was carried away by the moment and would retract the promise later on. When that didn’t happen, I did warn you Tom might not be able to make the house.”

“I don’t see why,” Joey said sulking. “After all she has nothing to do. I manage to raise a family and write books and be a little friend to everyone.”

Not for the first time Hilda thought of delightful personal cheque Madge wrote her at the end of every term for putting up with Joey. She mentally added another zero to it.

“Joey,” she began with a deep breath, “Tom is not saying no outright. She is reminding us how busy she is with her own work and studies and therefore it will take some time to make the house. I think she has offered a reasonable solution.

“And frankly we don’t really have a choice. We placed her in this position so we need to adhere to her conditions.”

She continued to sooth Joey as Tom’s letter fluttered to the floor. What Hilda did not mention was the timeline Tom had proposed.

***

“ARRRRR!!!!” Veta screamed. “What on earth is this?!!”

The letter from Tom had taken her completely by surprise. She had thought herself SO clever – a chance for a cheap toy for her children and for her to look generous as well. She knew such a wonderful house was worth much much more than what she proposed to pay.

Deep down Veta also knew she did not have the money on hand and she had planned to pay in dribs and drabs over – oh, the next 20 years.

Now Tom had spiked her guns quite effectively.

***

Tom smiled when she received Miss Annersley’s letter. Yes, she thought, I figured that would be the answer. She could also sense the grin hovering over Miss Annersley's lips as she wrote.

Dear Tom,

Thank you for your prompt reply. I was so pleased to hear your studies are going well and you are enjoying life. Remember to make time for play as well as work.

I have heard from Elizaveta (the ex-crown Princess) and she has decided to forego your extremely generous offer to make the toy house for her.

Your offer to make the house and the contents piece by piece and charging her for every bit as it is completed, was beyond her mathematical abilities to comprehend.

When I and the maths mistress (Miss Ferrars – a delightful woman!) tried to explain the pay-as-you-go scheme she cut us off and said you need not bother to make the house after all.

Unfortunately she also did not factor in the cost of shipping from England and, as your scheme requires each piece to be sent separately, thus increasing the postal costs, she again re-iterated that now is not a convenient time for the house to be made.

I do apologise for any trouble the request may have caused you.

Again thank you so much for your time and effort in making the house for our sale. It truly was the star turn and I don’t mind telling you that I had a few tries at winning it myself!

Both I and the school hope we will see you soon.

Hilda Annersley (Abbess)

#2: Author: Fiona Mc, Location: Bendigo, Australia

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:06 am
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Quote:

Not for the first time Hilda thought of delightful personal cheque Madge wrote her at the end of every term for putting up with Joey. She mentally added another zero to it.

Thought this line took the cake. A very interesting perspective. Thanks for all the drabbles you've been writing. I've really enjoyed reading them all

#3: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:47 am
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Love that solution - and Hilda's solution. Also loved the same bit Fiona quoted - that cheque must have grown quite considerably! rofl

#4: Author: arky72, Location: Cheshire

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:58 am
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The cost of the house, piece by piece, plus postage, is also beyond my mathematical ability!

#5: Author: Miranda, Location: Perth, Western Australia

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 11:08 am
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Personally I like Joey's description of herself:

Quote:

“I don’t see why,” Joey said sulking. “After all she has nothing to do. I manage to raise a family and write books and be a little friend to everyone.”

And I love Tom's solution!! Laughing

#6: Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 11:32 am
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Thanks, Joyce. I loved the bit about the personal cheque and it's good that everything was sorted out.

#7: Author: Saffronya, Location: Oxford, England but hail from Glasgow, Scotland

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 11:37 am
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*Bent over double with mirth* Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! Love Joey as a spoilt brat no-one really likes! The cheque is highly amusing!

#8: Author: Cath V-P, Location: Newcastle NSW

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 12:25 pm
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Most ingenious...love the idea of the cheque, and Joey as a little friend to everyone. Laughing

#9: Author: Clare, Location: Liverpool

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 2:07 pm
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I'm loving the cheque too! Brilliant Joyce - thank you Laughing

#10: Author: Mia, Location: London

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 2:26 pm
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Clare wrote:

I'm loving the cheque too! Brilliant Joyce - thank you Laughing

Me three! And the title was spot on. Really enjoyed this, thank you Very Happy

#11: Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 2:33 pm
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Laughing

Yes, the lines about the cheque was the bit I had copied to quote, too! Thanks Joyce.

#12: Author: Elbee, Location: Surrey

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 4:32 pm
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Brilliant Laughing

Thank you Joyce

#13: Author: leahbelle, Location: Kilmarnock

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 5:55 pm
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Fantastic! Good for Tom Very Happy

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

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 12:40 am
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Absolutely marvellous!

#15: Author: JustJen, Location: at a baseball game

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 3:25 am
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THat was great Joyce!

#16: Author: Joyce, Location: Hong Kong

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 1:17 pm
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thank you for your comments. I really appreciate it. I'm really enjoying all these little scribblings about the Chalet School world so I'll probably do a couple more till the inspiration well runs dry.

Re: cheque. I figured there had to be SOME incentive for Hilda to be so nice to Joey. Very Happy

Cheers,
Joyce

#17: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 1:21 pm
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poke

Veta

Joey

the personal cheque

#18: Author: Elbee, Location: Surrey

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 4:03 pm
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Joyce wrote:

I'm really enjoying all these little scribblings about the Chalet School world so I'll probably do a couple more till the inspiration well runs dry.

Oh good, more to look forward to Very Happy

#19: Author: Tara, Location: Malvern, Worcestershire

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:44 pm
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Enjoyed that, Joyce - thank you. Very Happy

#20: Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 11:06 pm
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Very funny, thank you.

#21: Re: The house that Tom built - or did she? Author: Woofter, Location: Location? What's a location?

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 1:55 pm
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Very funny, especially this line:

Joyce wrote:

Not for the first time Hilda thought of delightful personal cheque Madge wrote her at the end of every term for putting up with Joey. She mentally added another zero to it.

Thank you

#22: Author: aitchemelle, Location: West Sussex

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:06 pm
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Thank you Joyce! This really made me smile!! Laughing

#23: Author: Elle, Location: Peterborough

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:14 pm
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Excellent!

#24: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 9:40 pm
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I really enjoyed this, thanks.

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