Ships steering wheel
WEASEL AND STOAT Episode 5
‘Hello, Mole, we want to go to the restaurant.’
‘Did your friend find you?’
‘Friend?’ asked Stoaty.
‘Fox, he was looking for you.’
‘Oh Fox,’ said Weasel, thinking desperately what to say.
‘Ah, then he did find you. I suppose he’s one of the landed gentry. He doesn’t look like a town fox. They have different features, you see. I meet all kinds of passengers, town, country, rich and poor. I can spot them easily.’
‘Yes, I see. We don’t move about much and we don’t meet many strangers.’
‘I knew that when I first met you. You are country gents.’
‘How did you know that?’ Weasel asked, trying to avoid talking about Fox.
‘Well, you see, you are wearing togs and your shoes are fastened up above your ankles. City or townsfolk always wear flat shoes.’
‘Goodness!’ exclaimed Stoat, ‘you do know a lot.’
‘Yes, it’s my job, you see, and I like to keep my eye on who comes and goes.’
Then Mole, bent over and whispered, ‘On board a ship like this there are bad people just as there are on land. Some passengers are big gamblers and trouble makers. Between you and me, my other job is to watch who comes and goes and I make a report to the captain.’
‘Then you are not only a lift operator?’ Stoaty asked.
‘No, no....no. This job is my cover. But this is just between you and me, you understand.’
‘Yes, we understand,’ Weasel replied. ‘We can keep a secret.’
‘Good, I’m glad to hear that. If you see anything suspicious, I would be glad of your help. Just keep me informed.’
‘We will, Mole, we will,’ said Weasel.
‘Here is the restaurant floor. Have a good dinner.’
‘That was close.’ Weasel said, after they had left the lift.
‘Yes, I wonder what he thinks of Fox?’ said Stoat. ‘He thinks we are his friends, doesn’t he?’
‘That’s what Fox told him. I didn’t want to deny it because that would have got Fox into trouble.’
‘Well, after tonight we won’t have Fox to think about.’
‘Not unless Mole asks us about him.’
‘What are we to say if he does?’
‘I don’t know Stoaty, I don’t know.’
‘Look Weasel this is the restaurant. What a stylish place it is.’
It was indeed a stylish place. There were tables big and small. There was a dance floor and a bandstand. It was such a grand place.
‘Good evening,’ a waiter said. ‘Let me show you to your table.’
‘Thank you,’ they both replied.
‘Come this way. They crossed the floor on thick red carpets to a table beside the bandstand.
‘Will this be satisfactory, sirs?’
‘Oh, yes, quite. This is certainly satisfactory,’ said Weasel.
‘Here is the menu. A waitress will come to take your order, soon.’
‘Look Stoaty, oysters and spicy beans and spinach.’
‘Yes, and lemon meringue pie!’
‘And look Stoaty, parsnips in black goulash sauce.’
The waitress came and took their order, oysters and crabs soaked in garlic sauce and lemon meringue pie.’
What would you like to drink, sirs?’ asked the waitress.
‘Ginger beer and sparkling lemonade,’ said Weasel, ginger beer for himself and sparkling lemonade for Stoaty, who liked lemonade.
They looked around at the passengers, the males all dressed in dinner suites and the females in flowing gowns.
‘Look Stoaty.’
Stoaty looked where Weasel was looking at a rather large female wearing a large diamond necklace.
‘What a beautiful necklace, Weasel.’
‘Yes, isn’t it. It must be worth a fortune. Diamonds are a girls best friend, Stoaty.’
‘Is that so? I wouldn't like to be a friend of someone whose best friend is diamonds. Diamonds have no feelings. They just shine.’
‘Yes diamonds are just for show. They can’t even talk.’
‘I wonder why they are a girls best friends?’ asked Stoaty.
‘Perhaps because they can’t talk.’
Stoaty didn’t know what to make of Weasel’s reply but he soon forgot about it when dinner was served. The oysters were scrumptious and the beans and spinach tasted delicious. They still had to eat their meringue pie and drink their ginger beer and lemonade when the band started playing. Some of the passengers got up to dance. A spotlight came on and circled around the dancers. The lights were dimmed and the atmosphere in the restaurant was very sentimental. Weasel and Stoat were very happy to watch the dancers and listen to the music. Then, when they had finished their meal they rose and returned to their cabin and went directly to their bunks after a long and exciting day but not before they knelt down and said prayers, thanking Jesus for their holiday and praying for Fox who had left their cabin and was somewhere hiding in the big ship.
‘Hello, Mole, we want to go to the restaurant.’
‘Did your friend find you?’
‘Friend?’ asked Stoaty.
‘Fox, he was looking for you.’
‘Oh Fox,’ said Weasel, thinking desperately what to say.
‘Ah, then he did find you. I suppose he’s one of the landed gentry. He doesn’t look like a town fox. They have different features, you see. I meet all kinds of passengers, town, country, rich and poor. I can spot them easily.’
‘Yes, I see. We don’t move about much and we don’t meet many strangers.’
‘I knew that when I first met you. You are country gents.’
‘How did you know that?’ Weasel asked, trying to avoid talking about Fox.
‘Well, you see, you are wearing togs and your shoes are fastened up above your ankles. City or townsfolk always wear flat shoes.’
‘Goodness!’ exclaimed Stoat, ‘you do know a lot.’
‘Yes, it’s my job, you see, and I like to keep my eye on who comes and goes.’
Then Mole, bent over and whispered, ‘On board a ship like this there are bad people just as there are on land. Some passengers are big gamblers and trouble makers. Between you and me, my other job is to watch who comes and goes and I make a report to the captain.’
‘Then you are not only a lift operator?’ Stoaty asked.
‘No, no....no. This job is my cover. But this is just between you and me, you understand.’
‘Yes, we understand,’ Weasel replied. ‘We can keep a secret.’
‘Good, I’m glad to hear that. If you see anything suspicious, I would be glad of your help. Just keep me informed.’
‘We will, Mole, we will,’ said Weasel.
‘Here is the restaurant floor. Have a good dinner.’
‘That was close.’ Weasel said, after they had left the lift.
‘Yes, I wonder what he thinks of Fox?’ said Stoat. ‘He thinks we are his friends, doesn’t he?’
‘That’s what Fox told him. I didn’t want to deny it because that would have got Fox into trouble.’
‘Well, after tonight we won’t have Fox to think about.’
‘Not unless Mole asks us about him.’
‘What are we to say if he does?’
‘I don’t know Stoaty, I don’t know.’
‘Look Weasel this is the restaurant. What a stylish place it is.’
It was indeed a stylish place. There were tables big and small. There was a dance floor and a bandstand. It was such a grand place.
‘Good evening,’ a waiter said. ‘Let me show you to your table.’
‘Thank you,’ they both replied.
‘Come this way. They crossed the floor on thick red carpets to a table beside the bandstand.
‘Will this be satisfactory, sirs?’
‘Oh, yes, quite. This is certainly satisfactory,’ said Weasel.
‘Here is the menu. A waitress will come to take your order, soon.’
‘Look Stoaty, oysters and spicy beans and spinach.’
‘Yes, and lemon meringue pie!’
‘And look Stoaty, parsnips in black goulash sauce.’
The waitress came and took their order, oysters and crabs soaked in garlic sauce and lemon meringue pie.’
What would you like to drink, sirs?’ asked the waitress.
‘Ginger beer and sparkling lemonade,’ said Weasel, ginger beer for himself and sparkling lemonade for Stoaty, who liked lemonade.
They looked around at the passengers, the males all dressed in dinner suites and the females in flowing gowns.
‘Look Stoaty.’
Stoaty looked where Weasel was looking at a rather large female wearing a large diamond necklace.
‘What a beautiful necklace, Weasel.’
‘Yes, isn’t it. It must be worth a fortune. Diamonds are a girls best friend, Stoaty.’
‘Is that so? I wouldn't like to be a friend of someone whose best friend is diamonds. Diamonds have no feelings. They just shine.’
‘Yes diamonds are just for show. They can’t even talk.’
‘I wonder why they are a girls best friends?’ asked Stoaty.
‘Perhaps because they can’t talk.’
Stoaty didn’t know what to make of Weasel’s reply but he soon forgot about it when dinner was served. The oysters were scrumptious and the beans and spinach tasted delicious. They still had to eat their meringue pie and drink their ginger beer and lemonade when the band started playing. Some of the passengers got up to dance. A spotlight came on and circled around the dancers. The lights were dimmed and the atmosphere in the restaurant was very sentimental. Weasel and Stoat were very happy to watch the dancers and listen to the music. Then, when they had finished their meal they rose and returned to their cabin and went directly to their bunks after a long and exciting day but not before they knelt down and said prayers, thanking Jesus for their holiday and praying for Fox who had left their cabin and was somewhere hiding in the big ship.