Round the Herne

 This is my reading of E F Benson's amusing short story "The Psychical Mallards" (1921) which in some regards foreshadows the childhood of Harry Potter and his life with the Dursleys. I wonder if J K Rowlings had read this story at some point in the past and it sowed a seed? The fatherly conversation about queerness raises a bit of a school boy snigger. It can be read entirely innocently (and was most likely meant in that way by the author), though the word queer had started to be associated with homosexuality by the late 1800s and as Benson was himself a lover of men he might well have been familiar with its dual implications and its relevance to boarding school life. Anthropologists have noted that some cultures associate magical talents, such as possessed by Tim, with sexual ambiguity - but I think that may well be reading rather too much into a simple tale of wizardly nonsense (plus he does get married, eventually)  Incidentally, if some listeners think I have lost th

 This is my reading of Saki's short story, 'The Disappearance of Crispina Umberleigh' (1919). Aside from being an amusing diversion it is a reminder that some people bring great joy by their arrival in our lives whilst others bring great joy only when they depart our lives. It is never a great idea to be one of the latter. Apologies for the rubbish accents, I really must try and acquire some better silly voices.