The CBB :: View topic - CBB Advent Calendar December 8th

#1: CBB Advent Calendar December 8th Author: CBB Triumvirate,

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 8:34 am

I have just been informed that there are 17 days to go!

Hilda glanced out of her study window. ’I don’t like the look of the weather’ she announced in firm tones. “It looks like snow to me. I think the best thing would be for the girls to wrap up well and go out for a brisk walk, hopefully making it back to school before it comes on to blizzard. If anyone does happen to be caught by a ferocious storm half way up the mountain, the best bet is to keep walking in the surety of being found by a local with nothing better to do than rescue schoolgirls.”

Bill nodded agreement. “Yes, I think that sounds an ideal plan. Perhaps instead of limiting the girls to a mere half hour we could permit the prefects at least to go a lot further – maybe an hour walking away from school before they have to return?”

Hilda smiled at her co-head. “I really do think you have hit upon just the thing for a day like today,” she said in relief. “I was beginning to worry about how to keep the younger girls occupied this afternoon – an afternoon and evening of panicking over whether any of the prefects will ever be seen again should keep them sufficiently subdued.”

When the plans were announced to the girls, they all gave a mighty cheer, hastily squashed by those fearing the noise could make the heads reconsider their plans for the day. As soon as Fruhstuck was finished and the tables cleared, girls were seen to be streaming forth to the Splasheries as fast as possible to change into stout walking shoes, wrapping wee shawls over their shoulders and grabbing at the huge pile of alpenstocks that fell out of the cupboard marked “big wooden sticks”.

The only person who didn’t appear to be totally enchanted and enamored of the heads ideas was Mary-Lou Trelawney. As one of the body of prefects, she knew she held a position of great authority in the school, and contemplated going to the heads with her own ideas on how to run school excursions during bad weather, but recent events had led to her attempting to be slightly less forthright in her own opinions so for the first, last and only time in her life, she kept her mouth shut and didn’t go rushing into the head’s study and tell that august mistress that she was wrong.

The Prefects, sent off by themselves for a change instead of helping with one or another of the Forms, made the most of the opportunity and set off at a good pace, even though Mary-Lou, being weather-wise, was watching the sky carefully. The others had shouted her warnings down, sure that the Heads would have taken that into consideration. They naturally had no idea of the thinking behind the Heads’ decision, and set off in high spirits. They had decided to climb up the Rosleinalp, the next shelf above the Platz, walk along its full length and descend by the steep and twisting path at the far end. They didn’t usually have the option to do this, as the path was considered far to dangerous for most of the school to attempt. Indeed, they would normally have been denied permission to attempt it themselves, but in view of the likely weather conditions, the Head had waved this restriction when they had asked for permission. After all, the path brought them out near the San, and Doctor’s were always available when blizzards struck on the Platz.
The sun was shining as they set off through the woods. Laughing and chattering like young magpies, though to Mary-Lou’s eyes there was a brassy tinge to the brightness. By the time they had reached the Rosleinalp they were hot, and many of them had broken all observance of school rules and not only taken off the wee scarves, but their heavy coats as well. They felt much cooler, though the coats and scarves were a nuisance to carry.
“I wonder if that’s the reason we aren’t supposed to take them off,” said Vi Lucy.
“I nearly dropped mine,” said Barbara Chester. “I think its so that we won’t get them muddy if we do drop them. Can we stop for a drink soon? I’m parched.”
Seeing a nice patch of grass just ahead, the girls made a beeline for it and were soon sitting about, coat-less and drinking ice-cold lemonade from the flasks they each carried in their rucksacks. More than one girl was shivering before they had finished and they were all happy to put their coats back on before setting off along the grassy meadow to the far end of the shelf. As they walked they all noticed the sky changing colour, turning from a clear blue to a nasty yellowish colour. Mary-Lou looked behind her and uttered a short exclamation.
“Look at the sky! It’s going to snow like billy-o before too long. We’ll have to hurry if we’re going to beat it.”
Unfortunately for her, they were far too far away from anywhere to reach any sort of shelter in time. It was already snowing when the reached the path back down to the Platz and the sky was getting very dark. They made their way down the path carefully. It was a reasonable width near the top and they went as fast as they dared. It was when they reached the narrowest part that disaster struck. That part of the path had been in the shade all day and was still slippery with frost. The snow, which was coming down like a whirling dervish by this time, made it more treacherous than ever. Mary-Lou felt herself slip, was unable to stop on the steep path, and disappeared over the edge with a piercing shriek.

This was a great relief to the rest of the prefects and they danced a little jig in the snow before continuing. The snow continued, but even a whirling dervish of snow is not a blizzard and they could see quite well, just as they could tell that at least six girls had been stood extremely close to Mary-Lou before she fell. Not that anyone would bother anyway, they would all juts be so glad to be rid of the interfering so and so.

Once the prefects got close to the san they were careful to slow down, look cold and ill, and limp. It worked, Dr Ramsbottom driving his two-seater sports car pulled up with a groan when he saw the girls. He knew he had to fit them all in the car, it was demanded by the storyline, but he wished they wouldn’t always change the radio station and fiddle with the windows. It was hard enough to fit 11 girls into a two-seater comfortably as it was, without having his favourite music switched off. Still at least it meant he got to know the girls before he ended up married to the current favourite.

Back at the school Kathie Ferrars and Nancy Wilmot were taking bets at which one of the prefects would become engaged to the young doctor. They had decided that it would have to be Mary-Lou as they hadn’t heard the cheer yet, when they caught sight of the little car chugging slowly up the drive. True to their role they put on worried frowns and went to join Matey and the head on the steps. Matey fussed around as the girls climbed out of the car one after another after another.
“Hot baths all around I think,” she snapped as she surveyed them all.
“Yes, we can go into exactly what happened to make you so late tomorrow, I think you all need to sleep now. Matey have you beds made up in the sane, they must be exhausted after such an experience.”
“I’m all prepared. I’ve come to know what to expect from expeditions after all these years.”
The Head smiled and turned to thank Dr Ramsbottom who was edging towards his car. He reckoned with Matey.
“Where do you think you are going young man. I said hot baths all round, and I meant all round. One of the prefects will take you up to the san and find you a bathroom.” It was a stunned Dr who less than an hour later found himself thoroughly bathed and tucked up in crisply laundered sheets looking nervously over the top of them at the prefects who were all laid in bed starring hungrily at him.

#2: Author: Lesley, Location: Rochester, Kent

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 8:41 am

I like this one - Hilda and Nell sending the Prefects out deliberately, any one of six Prefects responsible for murdering Mary Lou. The doctor's two seater big enough for twelve, and Dr Ransbottom in bed with the Prefects...

Thanks for the laugh! Laughing

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

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 8:55 am

Kathie Ferrars
ice cold lemonade
"hot baths all round"

Liz

#4: Author: Amanda M, Location: Wakefield

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 11:34 am

Vi Lucy
Alpenstock
"I don’t like the look of the weather"

Star Wars

#5: Author: Alex, Location: Manchester

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 11:40 am

I was going to say what Amanda said, but instead I'll go for

Barbara Chester
Alpenstocks
I don't like the look of the weather

(see what I did there?!)

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

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 12:02 pm

Vi Lucy!
Alpenstocks
Hot baths all round

#7: Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 12:03 pm

Mary Lou Trelawney
Ice cold lemonade
I don't like the look of the weather

#8: Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 1:44 pm

Another good story!

Matey

Alpenstocks

Hot baths all round.

NB Does this remind anyone else of Cluedo?

#9: Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 3:06 pm

Nancy Wilmot
alpenstocks
chattering like young magpies

poor, dear Mary-Lou! What a remorseless lot of prefects -- not to mention the mistresses!

Laughing

#10: Author: Chelsea, Location: Your Imagination

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 3:30 pm

Mary Lou

Alpenstocks

I don't like the look of that weather

#11: Author: Mihiri, Location: surrey england

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 4:43 pm

This is funny! Thank you

I think
Barbara Chester
hot baths all round
coats and scarves

#12: Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!!

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 7:44 pm

LOLOL!

Inspired!!! Thank you all three of you!

Mary Lou
crisply laundered sheets

'it's going to snow like billy'o'

#13: Author: ellend, Location: Bow, London

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 7:59 pm

Wonderful story. I laughed

Barbara Chester

alpenstocks

"Hot baths all around "

Ellen

#14: Author: patmac, Location: Yorkshire England

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 8:12 pm

I'm reading these with great enjoyment but being totally devoid of the 'Cryptic Crossword' talent, will refrain from even attempting to guess the answers. Hilarious and thank you for a good laugh.

#15: Author: Helen P, Location: Cheshire

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 9:11 pm

This is so funny! Laughing

Mary-Lou
Alpenstocks
Hot baths all round

#16: Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 9:17 pm

Bill

Car

'Brassy tinge to the brightness'

#17: Author: CBB Triumvirate,

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 8:39 am

Today's answer is:

Kathie Ferrars
Ice-cold lemonade
'I don't like the look of the weather.'

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