Once upon a time, many, many years ago, a little girl named Binkie was living in Merrie Olde Englande.
At that time, most towns had at least one picturesque* character called a Rag and Bone Man. He would travel the streets with his horse and cart, uttering his cheery cry...."Rah-boh !" Although Binkie is very, very old, the Rag and Bone man no longer collected bones, but he still collected rags, and any other unwanted items. Oh how excited Binkie was when she heard him and his horse! You see, sometimes the R & B man would give little children a present, if they brought out enough interesting things for him. The time before, Binkie had not managed to get a present. This was probably because her Mummy refused to let her give the Rag and Bone Man any of the old china which was in a cabinet and nobody ever used. Binkie thought this was very unfair, even when Mummy explained that it was Widgewood and Micen.
On this occasion, though, the Rag and Bone Man said that Binkie could have a REAL goldfish if she brought him something. She ran back inside and begged and pleaded until her Mummy sighed and found some old sheets, a saucepan with a hole in it, and the deckchair Binkie broke playing Pirates.
Out to the Rag and Bone Man she went, and waited, all atremble.........and sure enough, he grinned and said "All right, girlie, you shall have your goldfish!"
He bent over a big box on the cart, and after a moment or two, he brought out a glass jam jar with a beautiful orange goldfish swimming round and round! He then jumped on the cart, twitched the reins, and off went the horse and cart at a gallop.
Binkie clutched the precious jar with its circling fish, and as she watched, it began to slow down. Slower and slower it went until finally it stopped and floated gently up to the surface, where it lay looking peaceful.
Binkie didn't believe Mummy when she was told that it was a dead goldfish.....even when Mummy showed her how the Rag and Bone Man must have swirled the water round with a pencil to make the fish spin. In fact she kept swirling her fish for several days until he went a funny colour and started to pong.
Poor Binkie ! She has never forgotten that fish, and if it happened today, she would no doubt sue the Rag and Bone Man for millions, just to make up for the pain and suffering. :'(
* In my family, this is
always pronounced "pictureskwee"
Cheers All
