But first...
Dulltown UK: Today's quotation is from Cordwainer Smith's story The Ballad of Lost C'mell:
Only three besides Jestocost were present - the Lady Johanna Gnade, Lord Issan Olasccoaga and Lord William Not-from-here. (the Not-from-heres were a great Norstrilian family which had migrated back to Earth many generations before).
Note:
Norstrilia - Old North Australia.
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Of course, today's book is from 1954 - that's a long time ago.
It's another of my cheap second-hand junk shop ones. The cover is quite ordinary, so I'll show you, dear reader, part of the title page, instead:
Yes, it is a collection of items from the popular Gadgets Magazine from those times. It was a period when people were very keen on making, and repairing, things in their homes and gardens, not just happily throwing them away into festering land-fills, and buying new ones, as we do today.
Most items in the book have a nice drawing printed above the text, just to help you out.
How about a game of blow-football, this evening?
Yes, but it is blow-football - with a difference!
'Albert...'
'Eh?... Yes dear'?
'What are you sitting there, looking so pleased about? You don't often look like that.'
'Oh, don't I, Madge, dear'?
'Oh, and also, what has happened to that messy wooden thing, that you were screwing and hammering on the kitchen table yesterday afternoon? Why you didn't do it in the garden shed, as usual.'
'It was a bit too chilly out there, dear.'
'I see... And, Albert, what is it that you are smirking about? You generally don't smirk, much.'
'No, dear, I don't - as a rule.'
'Well, what has happened to the wooden thing'?
'Oh, it's gone...'
'Gone? Have you angrily chopped it up, as you usually do, when you make a mess of something'?
'No dear... It has gone, away'!
'Away'?
'Yes... And it's all thanks to the Gadgets Magazine.'
'Huh!...'
'Did you say "huh", my dear'?
'I did!... That magazine is a lot of silly nonsense! So, what was that, awful wooden thing, anyway'?
'It wasn't awful, my dear Madge, let me tell you - it went down a storm'!
'A storm? And where, dear Albert, did it - go down - in such a way'?
'Last night, I took it round to Bob and Alice's house...'
'Why on earth would you do that?... I like Bob and Alice'!
'Yes, I do too, but they have two boys, and a boisterous girl...'
'I know they do.'
'You see, dear, two lads, and a girl'!
'What about them'?
'Blow-football'!
'Really'?
'Yes, just a ping-pong ball - and they went at it - hammer and tongs!'
'Goodness me! Hammer and tongs'?
'Yes, they loved it - everybody was panting, sweating, and out of breath by the end...'
'Goodness me!... Er, well done, Albert'!
'All thanks, to the Gadgets Magazine, dear!...'
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