large/475/reginald_0709_librivox_64kb_mp3/reginald_06_saki_64kb_1
large/475/reginald_0709_librivox_64kb_mp3/reginald_06_saki_64kb
English
475
Reginald said he had seen something like it in pictures; the villagers had seen nothing like it in their lives, and remarked as much freely. Reginald's family never forgave him. They had no sense of humour. REGINALD SAID HE HAD SEEN SOMETHING LIKE IT IN PICTURES THE VILLAGERS HAD SEEN NOTHING LIKE IT IN THEIR LIVES AND REMARKED AS MUCH FREELY REGINALD'S FAMILY NEVER FORGAVE HIM THEY HAD NO SENSE OF HUMOR
rough the village. Forethought had provided the occasion with a supply of tin whistles, but the introduction of a he-goat from a neighbouring orchard was a brilliant afterthought. Properly, Reginald explained, there should have been an outfit of panther skins; as it was, those who had spotted handkerchiefs were allowed to wear them, which they did with thankfulness. Reginald recognised the impossibility, in the time at his disposal, of teaching his shivering neophytes a chant in honour of Bacchus, so he started them off with a more familiar, if less appropriate, temperance hymn. After all, he said, it is the spirit of the thing that counts. Following the etiquette of dramatic authors on first nights, he remained discreetly in the background while the procession, with extreme diffidence and the goat, wound its way lugubriously towards the village. The singing had died down long before the main street was reached, but the miserable wailing of pipes brought the inhabitants to their doors. CCHANALIAN PROCESSION THROUGH THE VILLAGE FORETHOUGHT HAD PROVIDED THE OCCASION WITH A SUPPLY OF TIN WHISTLES BUT THE INTRODUCTION OF A HE GOAT FROM A NEIGHBOURING ORCHARD WAS A BRILLIANT AFTERTHOUGHT PROPERLY REGINALD EXPLAINED THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN OUTFIT OF PANTHER SKINS AS IT WAS THOSE WHO HAD SPOTTED HANDKERCHIEFS WERE ALLOWED TO WEAR THEM WHICH THEY DID WITH THANKFULNESS REGINALD RECOGNIZED THE IMPOSSIBILITY IN THE TIME AT HIS DISPOSAL OF TEACHING HIS SHIVERING NEOPHYTES A CHANT IN HONOUR OF BACCHUS SO HE STARTED THEM OFF WITH A MORE FAMILIAR IF LESS APPROPRIATE TEMPERANCE HYMN AFTER ALL HE SAID IT IS THE SPIRIT OF THE THING THAT COUNTS FOLLOWING THE ETIQUETTE OF DRAMATIC AUTHORS ON FIRST NIGHTS HE REMAINED DISCREETLY IN THE BACKGROUND WHILE THE PROCESSION WITH EXTREME DIFFIDENCE AND THE GOAT WOUND ITS WAY LUGUBRIOUSLY TOWARDS THE VILLAGE THE SINGING HAD DIED DOWN LONG BEFORE THE MAIN STREET WAS REACHED BUT THE MISERABLE WAILING OF PIPES BROUGHT THE INHABITANTS TO THEIR DOORS
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