celebrations and prisons

I had a little Christmas festivity for the Stork and the cuckoos.

I cooked a proper Christmas dinner, with both the trimmings.

The Stork came to watch me prepare the Brussels sprouts.

He seemed to think I wasn’t doing it correctly, and he drew a picture to show what he meant.

I thought at first that he wanted me to cook hot cross buns instead of sprouts.

I tried to explain that they belong to a different seasonal festivity.

But it turned out that he wanted me to cut a cross in the stalks.

I’ve always thought that that was rather superstitious. But if he was worried about it, I was happy to comply.

The cuckoos are shy about coming down from their clock, so I took the Brussels sprouts and the mince pies up to them.

The Stork and I joined them up there.

The bigger cuckoo reminded me that I must remove the smaller cuckoo’s paper hat promptly after the meal.

There have been problems in the past when such things have been used for nest-building, which has caused problems for the clockwork.

It’s not as though cuckoos really need nests.

I found some midwinter songs on the wireless, and we joined in.

It was a nice occasion, but after it was all over I felt a little down.

There were the leftovers to put away, and the hat-making materials to tidy up.

I think I’d eaten too much as well.

Then I remembered the paper chains.

Such a pity that I’d forgotten to put them up. It would have been much jollier.

But I didn’t allow myself to mope.

I tidied up, and took off my paper hat, and went out for a ride on my bicycle.

Jenny’s stabilisers are just what I needed.

I must get my cycling legs back, because I may have to make a long journey soon.

Once I know where Ruffy and Points are being held, I’ll be setting off to get them out.

I’ve nearly finished telephoning all the prisons in England, but so far none of them is the one where they’re being held.

I put in a music request for them, on the Prison Radio.

I asked for “O Christmas Tree”. They can think of it as the Red Flag. They’ll like that.

I wonder if they might be in Wales, or Scotland, or Northern Ireland.

If they’ve been sent to Australia, the telephone calls will be expensive.

But of course I don’t mind that. I’d give anything to get them home.

It’s not possible to bicycle all the way to Botany Bay.

If they are in Australia, I may have to call on the Invisible Friend.

It was the Invisible Friend who kindly came to pick me up from the seaside last year.

I didn’t know that the Second Lockdown was about to start, but with her school bus she got us home (I had Um and the Baby with me) in the nick of time.

The Invisible Friend has a great many useful vehicles. I’m sure she’d be able to get to Australia to rescue Points and Ruffy.

But let’s hope they’re in an English prison, one of the ones starting with W, X, Y, or Z.

I’ll do some more telephoning now.

I fear I’ve become hardened. I hardly blush at all now when I tell the Prison Officer at the other end that I’m calling from Scotland Yard, or from the Royal Courts of Justice.

Here’s the telephone directory. Now, where have I put my telephone?

I can hear it ringing.

Ah, here it is. Under a cushion.

It’s Bimbo, asking if I’d like to watch a film with him.

 

So we all found the film on our devices.

When we were ready to press PLAY, Elly counted us down to zero, so we all started at the same time.

I can’t remember the name of the film, but it was very good.

There were some distressing parts in the film, but on the whole I found it very encouraging.

The hero is sent to prison by mistake, just like Ruffy and Points.

The prison food seems to be excellent. I do hope theirs is too.

Altogether prison life is portrayed as quite pleasant.

Though of course no one would really want to be locked up, however nice the prison was.

I hope Ruffy and Points are in a prison like that.

When the film finished, everyone wished me a Happy New Year.

Oh my goodness. I’m not ready for another celebration.

I can hear the cuckoos getting excited. But I think I’ll just watch the fireworks quietly on my own.

Very nice.

I wonder what the rest of the year will be like.