Hairy Folk with 'tall-stand-up-ears'.

Now the Tale I am going to tell happened loooonng ago but Dagga Parrot-Spirit-in-the-Sky assures me it is true because HE knew Constance and has met the other hairy folk concerned and they assured him that it is.

A very loooonng time ago, SHE and HER Human family lived near Tenterden in Kent. They lived in an old house - back end Tudor, front end late Georgian - on farm. The family had full compliment of animals that you would normally associate with living on farm, James the Cat, Mouser and Rater extraordinaire, Bhalo (pronounced Barloo) Black Labrador who was Hugo's gun dog, Ricky Alsatian who was Constance's shadow, Bluey Pony who came to stay for 9 months and Victoria Goat, a British Sanaan, she was HER Goat.

One day Constance drove down from the garage / shed and called to the dogs to come and get into the van, Bhalo and Ricky appeared, most eager to jump into the back of the little van but who was this, bouncing along with them? Why, none other than Victoria, "the more the merrier" cried Constance and making sure that they were all safely shut in, SHE jumped in beside HER mother and off down the front farm drive they rattled and turned right onto the Tenterden Road.

The road took them into the 'bottom' of Tenterden's High Street and there is a junction at which you have to stop.

Tenterden is, alas and slack, on the Tourist Map of Kent and that day was no exception, for standing at the junction dressed in hideously touristic dress stood a family of 'Grockels', mother Grockle, father Grockle, boy Grockle and baby Grockle in a push chair. NOW, you may never have heard that (very) Kentish expression for a tourist before but I KNOW YOU KNOW what I mean... they are hideous .. and indeed, very Grockley.

Remember the 3 animals in the back section of the van, well, the van was waiting at the lights for the Rolvenden traffic to go up the High Street and Victoria Goat lifted up her head, tall ears and long nose, boy Grockle goes in a very nasal Grockley accent "Dad, dad, there's a Goat in the back of that van", Victoria put her head down and Ricky Alsatian lifted his up, tall ears and long nose, father Grockle hits boy Grockle HARD on head and says "Stupid boy, it's an Alsatian, innit?"

Constance, whose whistle was legendary and who had heard this poor child being made to look foolish, gave one of her best-ever Wolf whistles with which all three animals raised their heads and she shouted "No, she's a Goat", let in the clutch and drove up the street.

Grockle family left standing on the junction to await another change of the traffic lights.

People wonder why MY HER is 'different'? I think, of course, that is quite correct that Victoria should have gone shopping, after all, I go with HER to The Studio on the #19 bus.

GeeGee Parrot.
January 24th, 2012.