Round the Herne

 It being April 23rd, my mind turns to dragons and the numerous folktales about them. This story from Albania features a singularly charmless family as its central characters and a reminder about why we should be careful who we let have influence over our children's minds (cranky, manipulative teachers included).  There are forty dragons featured in this tale, though it has to be said that they really don't do anything very draconian and, as is so often the case with a lot of folktales, there are many loose ends left untied - like what happens to the governess, why are forty dragons squeezed into a castle, and ought the romantic "hero" be on a police watch list? Possibly when this story was first doing the rounds, audiences would have been familiar with other stories that would have put the dragons, the governess etc. into context. I did consider doing a story about the bolla, a type of dragon that only opens its eyes on April 23rd, but aside from a few scraps of myth...

 My reading of the last three chapters of P G Wodehouse's comic novel "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit" (1954) in which Jeeves, that machina ex deus, resolves all the problems that beset the household. You will have noticed from the constant references to Agatha Christie across the book that the two authors admired each other's work. Whilst Christie had rather Wodehouse-like characters in some of her books (especially the Tommy & Tuppence ones), she sadly never had a Jeeves-style character solve a murder and exonerate his employer from suspicion.

  My reading of the eighteenth and nineteenth chapters of P G Wodehouse's "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit" (1954).The purloining of pearls gets ever more confused as Wooster contemplates a life behind bars and Mrs Trotter throws her hat into the ring.

  My reading of chapters sixteen and seventeen of P G Wodehouse's "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit" (1954). Grievous bodily harm is attempted, Cupid steps in, and aunts become pottier by the minute.

  My reading of the fifteenth chapter of P G Wodehouse's "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit" (1954). Wooster contemplates his grim marital fate with sangfroid then looses it all as a far worse fate looms into view.

  My reading of the fourteenth chapter of P G Wodehouse's "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit" (1954). In this installment, Wooster manages to untangle himself from a near-death experience but faces the far worse prospect of getting hitched to the pushy Florence Craye.

 My reading of the thirteenth chapter of P G Wodehouse's "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit". Wooster finds himself making a grievous mistake as to whose bedroom window he is climbing through whilst attempting to protect his mad aunt's reputation.

  My reading of the twelfth chapter of Wodehouse's "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit" (1954). Wooster, against his better judgement, gets roped in to yet another scam to redeem his aunt's reputation. Needless to say nothing goes according to plan.

 My reading of chapter eleven of "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit" by P G Wodehouse (1954). In this chapter Wooster's plan for a relaxing weekend with his aunt and uncle are scuppered by the arrival of the knuckle-dragging Cheesewright, intent on mayhem.

 My reading of "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit" (1954) by P G Wodehouse. In chapters nine and ten Wooster finds out what is happening at his aunt's house with both her business shenanigans and the romance between the thuggish Cheesewright and the intellectual Florence takes yet another turn.

 My reading of the eighth chapter of "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit" (1954) by P G Wodehouse. In this chapter the plot thickens as Bertie gets lured down to his aunt's country mansion to assist with her business dealings and intransigent house guests.

 My reading of chapters six and seven of P G Wodehouse's "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit" (1954) in which Bertie finds himself up before the magistrate after shenanigans in a nightclub, and then having to beard the wrath of the thuggish Cheesewright.

  My reading of Chapter 5 of P G Wodehouse's "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit" (1954). This time the relentlessly pushy Florence Craye obliges Wooster to take her to a dubious nightclub - what could possibly go wrong?

  My reading of chapter four of Wodehouse's "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit" (1954). In this installment the thuggish Cheesewright gets even nastier and Florence ropes Wooster into yet another ill-advised scheme (what could go wrong?).

 This is my reading of the third chapter of Wodehouse's "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit" in which the brutish Cheesewright, beefy ex-Oxford and Eton rower, gets even nastier than usual .

 A couple of people who had missed the start of the Leaping Hare convention last Saturday asked if I would record a version of my talk on the Royal Myth of Egypt. I've tried to keep to the same length as at the convention and as close to identical topics. This is a reflection on the myth of the feuding brothers and the trials and tribulations faced by their sister in restoring her beloved. If these topics are of any interest to readers (both of you), let me know and I will explore further in future. Tomorrow, Sunday 3rd, I will be giving a talk on the Egyptian concepts of Ma'at and Isfet at an MBS fair being held at Kegrave Community Centre - I shall be talking at 1pm, if anyone fancies coming along to listen.

  As an admirer of Wodehouse's stories, I thought I would start a new series of readings. So this is m y reading of Chapters One and Two of "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit" (1954) by P G Wodehouse, the rest to follow in due course. I can entirely understand why Stephen Fry finds them so relaxing, as they are set in an entirely silly world of upper-class twittery with memorable characters and frivolous plots that make such an antidote to endless tide of misery and madness that fills newspapers and TV broadcasts. In this tale Jeeves returns from holiday to find Bertie about to be roped into one of his mad aunt's schemes - but Bertie has to contend with the murderous attentions of a jealous rival as well.