The Masked Troubadour
Encyclopedia
"The Masked Troubadour" is a short story
by English comic writer P. G. Wodehouse
, which first appeared in the U.K.
in the December 1936 issue of the Strand
. It was included in the UK collection Lord Emsworth and Others
(1937), and in the U.S. equivalent Crime Wave at Blandings. It stars young Drones Club
member Freddie Widgeon.
"Reggie and the Greasy Bird" is a rewritten version of the story with different settings and main characters, created because Wodehouse needed the money for his taxes. It appeared in the U.S.
in the November 28, 1936 issue of The Saturday Evening Post
, and was later included in booklet 9 of Plum Stones
, a collection of Wodehouse oddities and rarities.
Freddie Widgeon is heartbroken and penniless, again, to no surprise of his Drones Club
fellows such as Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright
. And his uncle Lord Blicester will only provide should Freddie seduce and marry Dora Pinfold, who does Good Works in a sort of a mission over on Notting Hill. However Dora Pinfold is already entwined in a relationship with Arthur Gooding. Falling in love with the girl as is his habit, Freddie borrows a few bob to shower the Notting Hill mothers with cocoa and buns, but loses it on a bet, so he must enter an Amateur Night competition to recover his funds and woo Miss Pinfold. Unfortunately, with pianist Jos. Waterbury as his accompanist, and Cousin Egbert with a slingshot, this may be harder than it sounds, and when Arthur steps into the frame once again a confrontation is on the cards.
Notes
The titular troubadour
is Freddie Widgeon, who sings accompanied by the pianist.
Reggie Mumford is heartbroken and penniless, again, to no surprise of his Junior Rotters Club fellows such as Beano Bagshot. And his uncle Lord Uppingham will only provide should Reggie seduce and marry Constance Rackstraw, who does Good Works in a sort of a mission over on Notting Hill. Falling in love with the girl as is his habit, Reggie borrows a few bob to shower the Notting Hill mothers with cocoa and buns, but loses it on a bet, so he must enter an Amateur Night competition to recover his funds and woo Miss Rackstraw. Unfortunately, with pianist Sid Montrose as his accompanist, and Ginger Murphy with an egg, this may be harder than it sounds.
Notes
The titular "greasy bird", slang for an unctuous person, is pianist Sid Montrose.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by English comic writer P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. Wodehouse
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE was an English humorist, whose body of work includes novels, short stories, plays, poems, song lyrics, and numerous pieces of journalism. He enjoyed enormous popular success during a career that lasted more than seventy years and his many writings continue to be...
, which first appeared in the U.K.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the December 1936 issue of the Strand
Strand Magazine
The Strand Magazine was a monthly magazine composed of fictional stories and factual articles founded by George Newnes. It was first published in the United Kingdom from January 1891 to March 1950 running to 711 issues, though the first issue was on sale well before Christmas 1890.Its immediate...
. It was included in the UK collection Lord Emsworth and Others
Lord Emsworth and Others
-External links:* , with a list of characters and publication dates* , with details of published editions, photos of book covers and links to used copies...
(1937), and in the U.S. equivalent Crime Wave at Blandings. It stars young Drones Club
Drones Club
The Drones Club is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a gentlemen's club in London. Many of his Jeeves and Blandings Castle stories feature the club or its members....
member Freddie Widgeon.
"Reggie and the Greasy Bird" is a rewritten version of the story with different settings and main characters, created because Wodehouse needed the money for his taxes. It appeared in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the November 28, 1936 issue of The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
, and was later included in booklet 9 of Plum Stones
Plum Stones
Plum Stones is a collection of short stories by P.G. Wodehouse. All of the stories contain a different Character .It was published after his death by Galahad books. It contains stories previously never published in a book. There is very little known about it and it wasn't widely published...
, a collection of Wodehouse oddities and rarities.
"The Masked Troubadour"
PlotFreddie Widgeon is heartbroken and penniless, again, to no surprise of his Drones Club
Drones Club
The Drones Club is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a gentlemen's club in London. Many of his Jeeves and Blandings Castle stories feature the club or its members....
fellows such as Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright
Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright
Claude Cattermole "Catsmeat" Potter-Pirbright is a recurring fictional character from the Jeeves stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a member of the Drones Club and a longtime school friend of Jeeves's master Bertie Wooster...
. And his uncle Lord Blicester will only provide should Freddie seduce and marry Dora Pinfold, who does Good Works in a sort of a mission over on Notting Hill. However Dora Pinfold is already entwined in a relationship with Arthur Gooding. Falling in love with the girl as is his habit, Freddie borrows a few bob to shower the Notting Hill mothers with cocoa and buns, but loses it on a bet, so he must enter an Amateur Night competition to recover his funds and woo Miss Pinfold. Unfortunately, with pianist Jos. Waterbury as his accompanist, and Cousin Egbert with a slingshot, this may be harder than it sounds, and when Arthur steps into the frame once again a confrontation is on the cards.
Notes
The titular troubadour
Troubadour
A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
is Freddie Widgeon, who sings accompanied by the pianist.
"Reggie and the Greasy Bird"
PlotReggie Mumford is heartbroken and penniless, again, to no surprise of his Junior Rotters Club fellows such as Beano Bagshot. And his uncle Lord Uppingham will only provide should Reggie seduce and marry Constance Rackstraw, who does Good Works in a sort of a mission over on Notting Hill. Falling in love with the girl as is his habit, Reggie borrows a few bob to shower the Notting Hill mothers with cocoa and buns, but loses it on a bet, so he must enter an Amateur Night competition to recover his funds and woo Miss Rackstraw. Unfortunately, with pianist Sid Montrose as his accompanist, and Ginger Murphy with an egg, this may be harder than it sounds.
Notes
The titular "greasy bird", slang for an unctuous person, is pianist Sid Montrose.