Parson's Pleasure (short story)
Encyclopedia
Parson's Pleasure is a short story written by Roald Dahl
, first published in the April 1958 issue of Esquire
. It is included in Dahl's 1960 short story collection Kiss Kiss
.
. He does not have a large shop, but he still manages to make a profit
each year by buying the most remarkable pieces of furniture
at very low prices and selling them for large profits. His friends in the trade wonder where he finds such rare items so regularly. It turns out that Mr Boggis's scheme is rather simple: he dresses up as a clergyman and visits English farmhouses under the pretenses of writing articles for the Society for the Preservation of Rare Furniture. When he finds something valuable, he makes the person an offer and then sells the item in his shop for twenty times as much.
On this particular trip he is traveling the county of Buckinghamshire
and comes across three locals (Claud, Bert, and Rummins) near a dirty, ramshackle farmhouse
. Once he convinces them to let him inside, he is astonished to see a Chippendale
Commode
standing in the living room. The Commodes were made by the famous 18th-century furniture maker Thomas Chippendale
, and only three others were known to be in existence. Boggis nearly faints when he realizes that this piece could fetch up to twenty thousand pounds in an auction. He recovers, though, and mentions that he needs a new set of legs for a table he has at home. The ones on the commode, he says, would just fit. Rummins is doubtful, and so Boggis cons him into thinking that the piece is simply a worthless Victorian
reproduction. He finally ends up purchasing the commode for the grand total of twenty pounds.
After he leaves to get his car, the three men want to be sure the parson doesn't back out of the deal and act accordingly. They assume that his car is too small to hold a piece of furniture, and that because he only wants the legs of the table, that they should do him the courtesy of removing the legs. The men saw the legs off and then decide that because he referred to the commode as being "firewood," that they should chop the rest of it into pieces. As Boggis comes around to collect the now-destroyed commode, they remark at how "well-made" the commode was, as chopping it up was a difficult task.
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
, first published in the April 1958 issue of Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
. It is included in Dahl's 1960 short story collection Kiss Kiss
Kiss Kiss (book)
Kiss Kiss is a collection of short stories by Roald Dahl, first published in 1960 by Alfred Knopf. Most of the constituent stories had been previously published elsewhere.It contains the following short stories:*"The Landlady"*"William and Mary"...
.
Plot summary
Mr Cyril Boggis is an antique dealer in Chelsea, LondonChelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
. He does not have a large shop, but he still manages to make a profit
Profit (economics)
In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total opportunity costs of a venture to an entrepreneur or investor, whilst economic profit In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total...
each year by buying the most remarkable pieces of furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
at very low prices and selling them for large profits. His friends in the trade wonder where he finds such rare items so regularly. It turns out that Mr Boggis's scheme is rather simple: he dresses up as a clergyman and visits English farmhouses under the pretenses of writing articles for the Society for the Preservation of Rare Furniture. When he finds something valuable, he makes the person an offer and then sells the item in his shop for twenty times as much.
On this particular trip he is traveling the county of Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
and comes across three locals (Claud, Bert, and Rummins) near a dirty, ramshackle farmhouse
Farmhouse
Farmhouse is a general term for the main house of a farm. It is a type of building or house which serves a residential purpose in a rural or agricultural setting. Most often, the surrounding environment will be a farm. Many farm houses are shaped like a T...
. Once he convinces them to let him inside, he is astonished to see a Chippendale
Thomas Chippendale
Thomas Chippendale was a London cabinet-maker and furniture designer in the mid-Georgian, English Rococo, and Neoclassical styles. In 1754 he published a book of his designs, titled The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director...
Commode
Commode
A commode, commode with legs, or commode on legs is any of several pieces of furniture. The word commode comes from the French word for "convenient" or "suitable", which in turn comes from the Latin adjective commodus, with similar meanings.Originally, in French furniture, a commode introduced...
standing in the living room. The Commodes were made by the famous 18th-century furniture maker Thomas Chippendale
Thomas Chippendale
Thomas Chippendale was a London cabinet-maker and furniture designer in the mid-Georgian, English Rococo, and Neoclassical styles. In 1754 he published a book of his designs, titled The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director...
, and only three others were known to be in existence. Boggis nearly faints when he realizes that this piece could fetch up to twenty thousand pounds in an auction. He recovers, though, and mentions that he needs a new set of legs for a table he has at home. The ones on the commode, he says, would just fit. Rummins is doubtful, and so Boggis cons him into thinking that the piece is simply a worthless Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
reproduction. He finally ends up purchasing the commode for the grand total of twenty pounds.
After he leaves to get his car, the three men want to be sure the parson doesn't back out of the deal and act accordingly. They assume that his car is too small to hold a piece of furniture, and that because he only wants the legs of the table, that they should do him the courtesy of removing the legs. The men saw the legs off and then decide that because he referred to the commode as being "firewood," that they should chop the rest of it into pieces. As Boggis comes around to collect the now-destroyed commode, they remark at how "well-made" the commode was, as chopping it up was a difficult task.