The facts
“I borrowed it. I thought you’d like to see a model railway signal. I thought you’d be interested. Anyone would think anyone would be interested in seein’ a railway signal made out of a mincin’ machine.”
- Number: 2.1
- Published: 1922 (1920 in magazine form)
- Book: More William
- Synopsis: William ruins Christmas, in a multitude of different ways.
Verdict
This is the first of William’s many Christmasses. We are also introduced to his four-year-old cousin Jimmy who seems somewhat like a William-in-training, at least aspiring to William’s (in Richmal Crompton’s words) “infinite capacity of producing chaos in his immediate surroundings, with the best intentions in the world”.
“It’s a good thing I don’t live here,” wept Aunt Evangeline. “One day a year is enough!”
Following a flood, various ‘gifts’ of live insects, a magic trick that goes wrong and an unsuccessful attempt by William to ‘mend’ the hall clock which results in the entire family missing church,
This poses an interesting role-reversal: often the Browns are cursed by annoying houseguests, but this time, they (collectively) are the annoyance, and in their own home.