Just ahead of Episode Thirteen of Three Men on the Bummel, thank you again for your kind comments about this caper and all our other Tales for Our Time. Larry, a South Carolina Steyn Clubber, writes:
Well, it's taken a bit, but I'm growing fond of the boys of Three Men on the Bummel. This tale - following Wodehouse - has just about returned me to normal after digesting Lord of the World. By the end of this, I'll be ready for either dark roads or sunny skies. Cheers to all.
Thank you, Larry. Comedy or Armageddon: a tough call.
And so on to tonight's installment of Jerome K Jerome's meandering and easily diverted bicycle ride through the Black Forest. Our trio is beginning to get an understanding of what was then the fairly unusual character of German government:
What had happened was this: Harris in the Stadgarten, anxious to get out, and seeing a gate open before him, had stepped over a wire into the street. Harris maintains he never saw it, but undoubtedly there was hanging to the wire a notice, "Durchgang Verboten!" The man, who was standing near the gate stopped Harris, and pointed out to him this notice. Harris thanked him, and passed on. The man came after him, and explained that treatment of the matter in such off-hand way could not be allowed; what was necessary to put the business right was that Harris should step back over the wire into the garden.
Harris pointed out to the man that the notice said "going through forbidden," and that, therefore, by re-entering the garden that way he would be infringing the law a second time. The man saw this for himself, and suggested that to get over the difficulty Harris should go back into the garden by the proper entrance, which was round the corner, and afterwards immediately come out again by the same gate. Then it was that Harris called the man a silly ass. That delayed us a day, and cost Harris forty marks.
Members of The Mark Steyn Club can hear me read Part Thirteen of Three Men on the Bummel simply by clicking here and logging-in. Earlier episodes can be found here.
If you've yet to hear any of our Tales for Our Time, you can do so by joining The Mark Steyn Club. For more details, see here - and don't forget our special Gift Membership. I'll be hosting Part Fourteen of Three Men on the Bummel right here tomorrow evening.
