Jean Goulbourne, Contributor

The schoolmaster, worried that the start of the new school year was fast approaching, still had received no notice from the ministry. What was he to do?

He decided to take things into his own hands and find out what was going on. He walked to Hyde's Village and got a lift from the mail van into town. He travelled there, a sad and lonely man. As he approached the town, he saw the decaying Christmas trees on the verandahs of the houses and the decorations. There seemed to have been some festivity, despite everything.

He saw the huge Christmas tree in front of the courthouse and wondered what was going on. He entered the office of his education officer and saw him sitting in front of a desk with a newspaper in hand.

"Sir," he said to the schoolmaster with a voice laced with fear.

The officer looked up.

"What do I do now that Christmas has been postponed until January 21? About the re-opening of school, I mean," the schoolmaster asked timidly.

"Christmas postponed? What kind of baloney is that? How dare you come into my office with such foolishness?" the officer bellowed.

"But Sir, we were told that it was postponed."

"Who told you this?"

"We heard it in Pantaloon's Corner," said the schoolmaster. He was trembling.

"And you believed it?" the officer was laughing now.

"What were we to do? We have no radios and the village is so remote," the schoolmaster said.

He would never be able to hold his head up again. This might even get into the newspapers. He had been fooled by two of his students. He was going to corn their rumps, Leroy and Tim. He returned to the village the evening.

That night, a ram was killed and the village feasted as it never had before. The rum bar was full and the manish water competed with the rum to soothe the gullets of the men. Children played ring games in the square and everyone rejoiced that good times had returned to Pantaloon's Corner.

The next day, the pastor held a special service and every man, woman and child was there. Carols were sung and Leroy and Tim were tried and sentenced in their absence. For absent they were gone into hiding as the schoolmaster oiled his strap in anticipation of their return.