Friday 27 May 2011

A Wee Wanderer


It was nearly so late at night, that it was actually very early in the morning. I was sitting up going through some of my old research papers. Something curious had caught my eye:

" ... on Thursday evening last Daniel Tangle asserted that he had observed a tiny bearded boy roaming within the church of St Coligate, Norwich. He speaks of the lad as We Davy, being of a frendly disposition. Grete distemper in drinke! Evidence dismissed"
May 24th 1761

That was nearly nine years ago now, and I had quite forgotten about that odd record. However, last Saturday we Ragged Ramblers ventured out into the far West of Norfolk and an incident occurred which made my mind leap back to the story of Wee Davy.

The four Ragged Ramblers were exploring their fourth church of the day; each in their own particular fashion. Mr. Many Coats lay prostrate, staring up at the ceiling. Jimothy Ditheridge prevaricated by the porch. The vertiginous Thadeus Basil-Snapper (the third) was perfectly lost behind the lens of his camera. Munro Tweeder-Harris was tasting the lime mortar for evidence of the buildings medieval provenance... and then it happened...


As if from nowhere, there appeared a tiny boy, smiling and holding a copy of Mortlock & Roberts, 'Churches of Norfolk'. Although initially taken aback we were perfectly charmed by the little fella. He seemed to take a particular liking to Thadeus...


However, his beaming little face looking up at you from down there... well, even the hardest heart would be bound to crumble...


The only two words he seemed to know were 'Wee Davy', spoken in an extraordinarily high-pitched voice that set the dogs of the parish barking.

We fed him some of the delightfully light and fluffy gluten-free lemon sponge which Thadeus had baked for us. Jimothy offered him a drink poured from through the slots of his flask, but the boy refused to let the steaming hot tea anywhere near him. However, when Munro removed the lid from his flask and poured the boy a cuppa, he guzzled it down with relish.

Isn't it interesting how, even a tiny boy who has stumbled through a rip in the time-space continuum can recognise the essential decency of tea poured from a flask with the lid removed. Most gratifying - for some of us!

7 comments:

  1. Proof - if it were needed - of the best way to pour from a Thermos. The poor, wee thing.

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  2. It may interest our readers to know that Wee Davey is fast asleep and curled up round my feet under my desk as I type this. He seems quite at home and I'm thinking of putting some form of curtain device up to afford him some privacy.

    Although now we have Wee Davey with us the question of what to do with the poor little mite has come up. Might I suggest we take him on as the R.S.A.R mascot? I am more than happy to keep him here with me or we can let him sleep beneath our desks on some kind of rotational basis. He is more than happy to live on flask tea albeit poured using the open lid method and the little tyke as developed quite a liking for my tunnocks tea cakes!

    Might I also suggest we supply him with an R.S.A.R livery so that he looks splendid on his rambles out with us?

    All those in favour say Huzzah.

    +Many Coats+

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  3. Wee Davey, Wee Davey, Wee Davey.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jean McTavish-Angerstein27 May 2011 at 19:03

    Och 'tis a turrble thing when men get te clashing their flasks, an' al be the roon of many a good sporran, mark ye! As for yon Divvy wayin, have care, Mr ManyCoots, ya dunny feed it after midnite. Sumthing wicket, ye ken..?

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  5. Dear Jean McTavish-Angerstein

    Yes.

    +Many Coats+

    ReplyDelete
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