| General Fiction posted November 12, 2023 |
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Wisdom from a neighbour
Riches I Have Not
by Claire Tennant
I will say this about the people of my blood. They are strong but not always wise. They have had to be strong, given the superiority of the English from royalty to the various levels of aristocracy over the centuries. Bonnie Prince Charlie, a lady's man of note, scuttled back to France to safety because of the English, helped along by those few Scots who could be bought and "clipe", the Scots word for tell-tale, to the authorities. Who could fail to admire the heroine Flora MacDonald? Who would dare defy her, and now me?
The gossips where I now live or the ignorant will tell you that a Scot is a miser with his money. Wrong! Of necessity, frugality is the best way. One day, upon hearing this statement for the umpteenth time, I was annoyed. My neighbour, who tended to have a laugh at another's expense, asked why I was sad. I told him and saw a totally different side of Mr Fox.
"Pardon? Oh no, that is not true of the Scots. Frugal, yes; after all, you only need to look at your parents coming here and working hard, making ends meet. Your own mother is the first to send a meal to her neighbours if there is sickness. Nah, that is rubbish. Why do you think the charities here are always in need of money?"
I looked stunned
"Easy because some folk would not donate as much as a box of dead matches if they thought they could get away with it!"
Now, who dares to disagree?
Rebut Me if You Dare writing prompt entry
I will say this about the people of my blood. They are strong but not always wise. They have had to be strong, given the superiority of the English from royalty to the various levels of aristocracy over the centuries. Bonnie Prince Charlie, a lady's man of note, scuttled back to France to safety because of the English, helped along by those few Scots who could be bought and "clipe", the Scots word for tell-tale, to the authorities. Who could fail to admire the heroine Flora MacDonald? Who would dare defy her, and now me?
The gossips where I now live or the ignorant will tell you that a Scot is a miser with his money. Wrong! Of necessity, frugality is the best way. One day, upon hearing this statement for the umpteenth time, I was annoyed. My neighbour, who tended to have a laugh at another's expense, asked why I was sad. I told him and saw a totally different side of Mr Fox.
"Pardon? Oh no, that is not true of the Scots. Frugal, yes; after all, you only need to look at your parents coming here and working hard, making ends meet. Your own mother is the first to send a meal to her neighbours if there is sickness. Nah, that is rubbish. Why do you think the charities here are always in need of money?"
I looked stunned
"Easy because some folk would not donate as much as a box of dead matches if they thought they could get away with it!"
Now, who dares to disagree?
The gossips where I now live or the ignorant will tell you that a Scot is a miser with his money. Wrong! Of necessity, frugality is the best way. One day, upon hearing this statement for the umpteenth time, I was annoyed. My neighbour, who tended to have a laugh at another's expense, asked why I was sad. I told him and saw a totally different side of Mr Fox.
"Pardon? Oh no, that is not true of the Scots. Frugal, yes; after all, you only need to look at your parents coming here and working hard, making ends meet. Your own mother is the first to send a meal to her neighbours if there is sickness. Nah, that is rubbish. Why do you think the charities here are always in need of money?"
I looked stunned
"Easy because some folk would not donate as much as a box of dead matches if they thought they could get away with it!"
Now, who dares to disagree?
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Writing Prompt First, read my thoughts in The Final Frontier, then, your mission should you choose to accept, state why or not it makes any sense. Have fun. May the IMF be with you. |
Artwork by MKFlood at FanArtReview.com
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