Mr Skillett And Mrs Round
Children's Story
Mr Skillett was as tall as a bus, and as thin as two pieces of paper stuck together. When he entered his house in The Street, he had to fold in half at the waist. And once inside, he had to sit down very quickly in case his head went through the ceiling.
Mr Skillett was always lonely, because as soon as he went out into The Street, everyone else disappeared indoors. Parents would drag their children in, saying, "Come away in! You don't want to go near that freak!" And when their children misbehaved, parents would often say, "You'd better be good, or Mr Skillett will be after you!" The only people Mr Skillett ever saw were gangs of nasty boys who would follow him at a safe distance shouting abuse at him, like, "Skinny Skillett, lofty freak!" and sometimes throwing stones at him.
But one day, Mrs Round got stuck in her door. Mrs Round was quite short and very, very fat. She spotted Mr Skillett out of the corner of her eye, and tried very hard to get into her house as quickly as she could. But she was so fat she stuck fast in the doorway. She heaved and she panted, she pulled and she pushed, but she couldn't budge.
Mr Skillett drew near, and greeted her politely. "How now, Mrs Round," he said. Then lifting his hat he added, "May I help?" First he took her shopping bags from her and placed them on the ground. Then he turned her sideways in the doorway and gave her a little shove. Mrs Round tumbled into her house and Mr Skillett followed with the bags.
"I think I could make the doorway a little wider for you, Mrs Round," he said thoughtfully. And without more ado, he unhinged the door, fetched his hammer, his chisel, his nails and his saw, and set to work.
Mrs Round was so overwhelmed by this unexpected kindness, that she didn't know what to say. So she put the kettle on and made a cup of tea and cut two large wedges of her favourite cake, because she knew Mr Skillett would never put on weight however much he ate.
After that, Mr Skillett and Mrs Round often went shopping together. Mr Skillett would carry the bags, and Mrs Round would trot beside him, even though she only came up to his knees. On the way home, they always stopped to sit on the bench in the park and feed the ducks, and they became quite friendly together.
One day, they found their seat in the park taken by Hopalong. When the other boys had spotted Mr Skillett in the distance, they had all run off, but Hopalong had only one leg and was much slower than the others. As he had grabbed his crutches and tried to run, he'd slipped and fallen, and his ankle was hurting so much he was in tears.
"There, there," murmured Mr Skillett, folding himself in four so as to reach Hopalong's level. "I think we'd better take you to Dr Black. I don't like the look of that ankle."
Mrs Round picked up the bags and Hoppy's crutches, and Mr Skillett picked up Hoppy. He was light as a feather in Mr Skillett's arms, and it felt as if he was floating in air, for he'd never been so high in his life. Hoppy began to lose his fear of Mr Skillett, and settled down in his arms to enjoy the ride.
Dr Black was as black as the ace of spades. Not just his skin, but everything about him was black, there was no white anywhere. His eyes were black, his lips were black, his teeth were black, and he wore black clothes. It was alright in his surgery, because the surgery was painted white and it was easy to see Dr Black against a white background. But nobody ever saw Dr Black at night, for he melted into the shadows.
Dr Black hummed and hahhed when he saw the ankle, and he put Hoppy's leg into a plaster cast. Then Mr Skillett carried Hoppy home and handed Hoppy over to his thankful parents. After that, while his leg was mending, Mr Skillett and Mrs Round would often call for Hoppy when they went shopping, and Mrs Round would carry the bags while Mr Skillett carried Hoppy.
And now that he'd met Dr Black properly, sometimes when he was out in The Street at night, Mr Skillett would call out just to see if Dr Black was there. Often there would be an answering murmur from the shadows, and Dr Black would step forward. Then they fell into the habit of going for a drink together before going home for the night.
One day, Hopalong asked Mr Skillett for his help. "It's Timid Tilly, our school teacher," explained Hopalong. "She's awfully nice, but she's frightened of the bigger boys and she can't keep order. And it's getting worse. Would you come to school, Mr Skillett? If the boys see you there, they'll behave."
So Mr Skillett took to sitting at the back of the class. Suddenly, all the children became very, very good and worked hard at their lessons. Timid Tilly was able to teach, and now she no longer had to keep order, the whole class discovered that she was a brilliant teacher. Soon they were so enthusiastic about Timid Tilly's classes, that Mr Skillett was able to slip out without anyone noticing.
Mr Skillett began to find that now whenever he walked down The Street, everyone would open their doors or wave out of their windows. "Hello, Mr Skillett!" "How are you, Mr Skillett? " "Lovely day, Mr Skillett." And Mr Skillett would beam happily and raise his hat in greeting and chat to the people who lived in The Street.
Suddenly, he realised he wasn't lonely any more. And he realised that he wasn't the only odd person who lived in The Street. All his best friends, Mrs Round and Hopalong and Dr Black and Timid Tilly were slightly odd too. And for the first time it occurred to Mr Skillett that perhaps nobody was perfect.
And Mr Skillett discovered that he was glad he was as tall as a bus and as thin as two pieces of paper stuck together, and that he really didn't mind having to fold in half to enter his house, or sit down quickly in case his head went through the ceiling, because at last he knew he belonged in The Street.
Mr Skillett was always lonely, because as soon as he went out into The Street, everyone else disappeared indoors. Parents would drag their children in, saying, "Come away in! You don't want to go near that freak!" And when their children misbehaved, parents would often say, "You'd better be good, or Mr Skillett will be after you!" The only people Mr Skillett ever saw were gangs of nasty boys who would follow him at a safe distance shouting abuse at him, like, "Skinny Skillett, lofty freak!" and sometimes throwing stones at him.
But one day, Mrs Round got stuck in her door. Mrs Round was quite short and very, very fat. She spotted Mr Skillett out of the corner of her eye, and tried very hard to get into her house as quickly as she could. But she was so fat she stuck fast in the doorway. She heaved and she panted, she pulled and she pushed, but she couldn't budge.
Mr Skillett drew near, and greeted her politely. "How now, Mrs Round," he said. Then lifting his hat he added, "May I help?" First he took her shopping bags from her and placed them on the ground. Then he turned her sideways in the doorway and gave her a little shove. Mrs Round tumbled into her house and Mr Skillett followed with the bags.
"I think I could make the doorway a little wider for you, Mrs Round," he said thoughtfully. And without more ado, he unhinged the door, fetched his hammer, his chisel, his nails and his saw, and set to work.
Mrs Round was so overwhelmed by this unexpected kindness, that she didn't know what to say. So she put the kettle on and made a cup of tea and cut two large wedges of her favourite cake, because she knew Mr Skillett would never put on weight however much he ate.
After that, Mr Skillett and Mrs Round often went shopping together. Mr Skillett would carry the bags, and Mrs Round would trot beside him, even though she only came up to his knees. On the way home, they always stopped to sit on the bench in the park and feed the ducks, and they became quite friendly together.
One day, they found their seat in the park taken by Hopalong. When the other boys had spotted Mr Skillett in the distance, they had all run off, but Hopalong had only one leg and was much slower than the others. As he had grabbed his crutches and tried to run, he'd slipped and fallen, and his ankle was hurting so much he was in tears.
"There, there," murmured Mr Skillett, folding himself in four so as to reach Hopalong's level. "I think we'd better take you to Dr Black. I don't like the look of that ankle."
Mrs Round picked up the bags and Hoppy's crutches, and Mr Skillett picked up Hoppy. He was light as a feather in Mr Skillett's arms, and it felt as if he was floating in air, for he'd never been so high in his life. Hoppy began to lose his fear of Mr Skillett, and settled down in his arms to enjoy the ride.
Dr Black was as black as the ace of spades. Not just his skin, but everything about him was black, there was no white anywhere. His eyes were black, his lips were black, his teeth were black, and he wore black clothes. It was alright in his surgery, because the surgery was painted white and it was easy to see Dr Black against a white background. But nobody ever saw Dr Black at night, for he melted into the shadows.
Dr Black hummed and hahhed when he saw the ankle, and he put Hoppy's leg into a plaster cast. Then Mr Skillett carried Hoppy home and handed Hoppy over to his thankful parents. After that, while his leg was mending, Mr Skillett and Mrs Round would often call for Hoppy when they went shopping, and Mrs Round would carry the bags while Mr Skillett carried Hoppy.
And now that he'd met Dr Black properly, sometimes when he was out in The Street at night, Mr Skillett would call out just to see if Dr Black was there. Often there would be an answering murmur from the shadows, and Dr Black would step forward. Then they fell into the habit of going for a drink together before going home for the night.
One day, Hopalong asked Mr Skillett for his help. "It's Timid Tilly, our school teacher," explained Hopalong. "She's awfully nice, but she's frightened of the bigger boys and she can't keep order. And it's getting worse. Would you come to school, Mr Skillett? If the boys see you there, they'll behave."
So Mr Skillett took to sitting at the back of the class. Suddenly, all the children became very, very good and worked hard at their lessons. Timid Tilly was able to teach, and now she no longer had to keep order, the whole class discovered that she was a brilliant teacher. Soon they were so enthusiastic about Timid Tilly's classes, that Mr Skillett was able to slip out without anyone noticing.
Mr Skillett began to find that now whenever he walked down The Street, everyone would open their doors or wave out of their windows. "Hello, Mr Skillett!" "How are you, Mr Skillett? " "Lovely day, Mr Skillett." And Mr Skillett would beam happily and raise his hat in greeting and chat to the people who lived in The Street.
Suddenly, he realised he wasn't lonely any more. And he realised that he wasn't the only odd person who lived in The Street. All his best friends, Mrs Round and Hopalong and Dr Black and Timid Tilly were slightly odd too. And for the first time it occurred to Mr Skillett that perhaps nobody was perfect.
And Mr Skillett discovered that he was glad he was as tall as a bus and as thin as two pieces of paper stuck together, and that he really didn't mind having to fold in half to enter his house, or sit down quickly in case his head went through the ceiling, because at last he knew he belonged in The Street.
