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March 27, 2008
As easy as falling off a cliff.
'So, if you prosper, suspect those bright
Mornings when you whistle with a light
Heart.'
And 'bright before seven, rain before eleven', but in the Village we are grateful that the Easter weather, more horizontal than the vertical way to which we have become accustomed over the years, has subsided into the bosom of a milder front.
Looking out of his latticed windows on Tuesday, the old white headed schoolmaster who lives in the forge, thought to venture up above the chalk pits with his pensionable greyhound. Wherever he goes he is followed by the dog,and children begging for the mints and scraps of cheese he keeps about his person.
"Let 'er run Sir", pleaded one of the urchin boys, "let me see her run".
He smiled, and handing the boy the lead, walked away a 50 yard distance.
"Undo the leash son", his voice wavered in the breeze. "Come on here my Lady."
The dog bounded towards toward him, perhaps the cheese was a more atractive goal than the mechanical rabbit at the races, where last December she started as favourite but came in sixth. The old schoolmaster, in spite of the women folk urging him to "hold fast to her now, mind", was slow to take her collar and she trotted on past him up a rise and suddenly disappeared.
"She's gone over the top" called the boys and the braver souls crawled to the cliff face and peered over the edge, fearing the worst. There was an awful silence.
No, on reflection there wasn't a silence at all,no one ever stops talking round here, but there was a welcome cry from young Harry,"She's down there and walking about!" Steeply below she could be seen picking her way gingerly across the chalky scree and boulders.
It was inded an Easter miracle. Those long boney legs should have snapped like kindling.
United once again with his faithful companion,the kindly, misty eyed schoolmaster, was handing out mints all round and the boys scampered home with a tale to tell round the hearth.
Posted by Martha at March 27, 2008 08:37 AM