A short investigation

An amusing episode is described in one gentleman’s memoirs of his school days: *

In 1951, I was sent to Bishop Westcott, Namkum, Ranchi. Westcott was immediately adjacent to the Eastern Command headquarters of the Indian Army, Bihar… I thought it strange that there was barbed-wire all around the school grounds but very soon realised that it was there to keep the boys off army property and not the other way around.

On nights when the moon was in semi-lune mode we would go scrumping for fruit and sweetcorn by the pillow- case full. One night we were caught. We were brought before the headmaster in the morning wondering how he knew who went on the raid as none of us were asked our names by the guards. The Headmaster pointed out that our names were on our pillowcases and that he was going to cane us, not for scrumping, but for stupidity! In future raids we always took someone else’s pillow-case.

And would, presumably, get punished for getting their schoolmates in trouble!

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* Not putting in a link to avoid shocking the people who keep the memoir website by where their visitors come from.

One thought on “A short investigation

  • 11 August, 2009 at 7:17 pm
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    Ha, spanked for stupidity – the worst indignity! Though in this case, very much justified.

    Reply

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