FULMER NEWSLETTER - Fulmer Village
FULMER NEWSLETTER - Fulmer Village
FULMER NEWSLETTER - Fulmer Village
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A CLASSIC TALE<br />
It was a warm and sunny day along the Messina Straits without a tourist in<br />
sight – but then this was a long, long time ago so neither they nor Thomas<br />
Cook had yet been invented. Nevertheless the world, as we never knew it,<br />
was a very pleasant place for the few inhabitants who had the means to enjoy<br />
it so, in one respect, the year Dot B.C. wasn‟t so different from today.<br />
Charybdis was well settled by the sea, though a trifle hot. While this name is<br />
widely known, even now, few scholars are aware that it is actually two names<br />
run into one – possibly due to some careless Greek chiseller. So it was that<br />
hot weather notwithstanding, Bdis was chary about putting a toe in the water<br />
lest the close neighbour, Scylla, might suddenly go into a spin and drown him<br />
in an overwhelming embrace. Certainly he did not want to get so deeply<br />
involved for she was always in such a whirl, you understand; at least it is<br />
hoped that you do, otherwise, where is the point – as the dragon enquired of<br />
St George just before flame-out.<br />
Scylla‟s normal greeting to a passing man-of-the-sea was “hello Sailor”, but of<br />
late the jolly tars had jacked in getting too close, having realised that this was<br />
a clear invitation to a quick twirl then a long goodbye. Bdis, however was just<br />
about to risk a dip when there was a sudden shout and a blinking Pluto,<br />
unused to daylight hove up from Hades.<br />
“I say Bdis”, he barked, “Can you tell me where to find that ghastly boatman?<br />
I‟ve got to look lively and get the help I can‟t get on this side of the Styx”.<br />
“But”, said Bdis, “Charon only runs a one-way service, as you should well<br />
know, Pluto. Always in at the death so to speak, not a lively chap at all, doubt<br />
he‟ll agree to change his ways. His nick-name is Hades Corpus, by the way”.<br />
“Oh, I‟ll collar him” said Pluto, “It‟s not much good being a God as well as a<br />
Hollywood icon if I can‟t get what I want. I just have to hop over to Sicily to<br />
get help from Ma Fiosa”.<br />
“Pluto”, said Bdis, “you need to be very careful having dealings with The<br />
Family, and for heavens sake don‟t cross that Rubi Con. He‟s renowned as an<br />
ethnic confidence trickster and can get very nasty. Anyway, why on Earth do<br />
you need help from The Family”?.<br />
“Well”, said Pluto, “Right now I‟m caught between a rock and a hard place”.<br />
“True”, murmured Bdis, casting his eye over at Scylla, “But what‟s the<br />
problem? You already can do just whatever you like in the underworld”!<br />
“That is precisely the problem; I can‟t do whatever I like anymore. I‟ve even<br />
had to let Eurydice live despite Orpheus looking at her against my express<br />
instructions”. “How in Hades did that happen”? asked an astonished Bdis.<br />
“It‟ll ruin the legends”. “It‟s all because of some bloke, there‟s no other<br />
description, that Charon brought over to me. He‟s called Bob and crows about<br />
how he is going to run the Underground now that he‟s been dropped in it –<br />
curious phrase”.