large/475/reginald_0709_librivox_64kb_mp3/reginald_06_saki_64kb_4
large/475/reginald_0709_librivox_64kb_mp3/reginald_06_saki_64kb
English
475
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. 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
mposed the local choir, his eyes shone with the dangerous enthusiasm of a convert. Reginald entered on the strenuous life alone, as far as Amabel was concerned. The most virtuous women are not proof against damp grass, and Amabel kept her bed with a cold. Reginald called it a dispensation; it had been the dream of his life to stage-manage a choir outing. With strategic insight, he led his shy, bullet-headed charges to the nearest woodland stream and allowed them to bathe; then he seated himself on their discarded garments and discoursed on their immediate future, which, he decreed, was to embrace a Bacchanalian 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. COLIC INFANTS WHO COMPOSED THE LOCAL CHOIR HIS EYES SHONE WITH THE DANGEROUS ENTHUSIASM OF A CONVERT REGINALD ENTERED ON THE STRENUOUS LIFE ALONE AS FAR AS AMABEL WAS CONCERNED THE MOST VIRTUOUS WOMEN ARE NOT PROOF AGAINST DAMP GRASS AND AMABEL KEPT TO HER BED WITH A COLD REGINALD CALLED IT A DISPENSATION IT HAD BEEN THE DREAM OF HIS LIFE TO STAGE MANAGE A CHOIR OUTING WITH STRATEGIC INSIGHT HE LED HIS SHY BULLET HEADED CHARGES TO THE NEAREST WOODLAND STREAM AND ALLOWED THEM TO BATHE THEN HE SEATED HIMSELF ON THEIR DISCARDED GARMENTS AND DISCOURSED ON THEIR IMMEDIATE FUTURE WHICH HE DECREED WAS TO EMBRACE A BACCHANALIAN 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
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