Station Jim by Louis De Bernières

Author:Louis De Bernières
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781473569584
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

‘Let it snow!

Let it snow!

Let it snow!

So that we don’t have to go

To go to go to go to school

Tomorrow!’

‘That looks tiring,’ said Ginger. ‘Where’d you get that from? Did you make it up?’

‘He got it from Sophie at school,’ said Sissy.

‘And Sophie got it from Caroline,’ said Beryl.

‘Well, it’s a rum little dance,’ said Mr Ginger Leghorn. ‘But there isn’t any school tomorrow anyway. Let’s just hope it doesn’t work.’

But it did. It worked exactly the right amount. The chill intensified, and a light snow began to fall gently during the night, the delicate flakes dancing about in the small breaths of wind, until by morning three inches had settled on the roofs and pavements. Out in the backyard Tildo tentatively placed one paw in front of the other as he tried out the unfamiliar, crunchy new carpet, and Jim stood with his forepaws on the windowsill, whining with excited incomprehension.

Mr Ginger Leghorn looked out and was satisfied that his beloved GWR would not be having too much bother, and the children ran straight outside with woolly hats and mittens on, to make snowballs and thrust them down each other’s necks. ‘There’ll soon be tears,’ said Mr Ginger Leghorn, and ‘Wonder who’ll get hurt first,’ said Molly.

It was Beryl, who slipped and cracked her knee on the cobbles, but she soon recovered, and returned to the fray. Then Sissy cried because Alfie put too much snow down the back of her collar. Then Albert slipped and broke a tooth against the railings, but luckily it was only a milk tooth, and was due for replacement anyway, and the split lip would repair itself soon enough.

The following evening the town’s brass band, who had been practising their carols for weeks, and the Salvation Army band too, marched into the town square from different directions, their bass drums booming, playing different tunes in different keys, competing very ably with each other for volume and verve. One or two bandsmen skidded on a patch of ice in their hobnails, bringing about some interesting mayhem, and a few entertainingly elephantine oompahs.

Usually, on this occasion, it would be raining, or too cold and windy, or the fire would not light properly, but this was one year that everybody would always remember. The night was fine and starlit, the air was still, and everybody who ought to be there was there. Mr Draggit brought a brazier and sold piping-hot, slightly charcoaled chestnuts in small brown paper bags. The crisp air was full of the sweet scent of the roasting, and people squealed and blew on their fingers as they peeled their chestnuts open.

The particularly memorable thing was that the Leghorns brought along their family dog, who wore a galvanised bucket on his head and howled melodiously and mournfully along to the strains of ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’, ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ and ‘Silent Night’. Mr Ginger Leghorn told Alfie to take Jim home, but the crowd would have none of it, and in subsequent

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