Uncle Fred Flits By
Encyclopedia
"Uncle Fred Flits By" is a short story
by P. G. Wodehouse
, which first appeared in the United States
in the July 1935 edition of Redbook
, and in the United Kingdom
in the December 1935 issue of the Strand
. It was included in the collection Young Men in Spats
(1936).
It marks the first appearances of Pongo Twistleton
and his mischievous Uncle Fred
, who would go on to appear in four novels, including two visits to Blandings Castle
.
to a guest at the Drones Club
. On seeing Pongo Twistleton
acting in a distracted and despairing manner, the Crumpet explains that a visit from Pongo's notorious Uncle Fred
is imminent, and that previous visits have shown that despair is the only sensible option in such circumstances. He relates one particular incident...
When Uncle Fred suggests to his nephew a visit to a suburb, once an estate owned by an uncle when he was younger, Pongo is amazed and relieved, believing the suburbs do not hold anything like the opportunities offered by the city for someone like his Uncle to cut loose and cause havoc. They head down and inspect the old family land, but find themselves caught in a shower of rain and take shelter in a doorway.
The door is opened by a maid (Pongo can only assume his uncle has rung the bell), and Fred, finding the owners are away, gains access to the house by posing as someone come to clip the parrot
's claws, with Pongo introduced as his assistant Mr Walkinshaw. The maid leaves on an errand, and Fred makes himself comfortable in front of the gas fire.
The doorbell rings, and Fred answers it to a pink-faced man. The man asks if he is Mr Roddis, owner of the house, and Fred says he is, introducing Pongo as his son Douglas. The man, it emerges, is one Wilberforce Robinson, an eel-jellier
, who is in love with Roddis's wife's estranged sister Connie Parker's daughter Julia, but is disapproved of by the family as being beneath them socially, and has come to see Mr Roddis for help. When Julia, a very pretty girl in Pongo's estimation, arrives with her parents, Uncle Fred suggests Robinson hide behind the sofa to avoid trouble.
The Parkers enter, and Fred introduces Pongo as a stone-deaf parrot clipper. They tell the story of the eel-jellier wooing their daughter, and Julia insists she loves him, on which the man leaps from behind the couch and kisses her. Uncle Fred rubbishes the Parker's insistence that their family is superior to his, by claiming that various cousins and uncles made their money in immoral and even criminal ways. Though Mrs Parker denies all, Robinson sees it as vindication of his own family background, and claims all he needs is a hundred pounds to buy a share in a business. Uncle Fred provides the money at once, and Robinson and Julia leave delighted, the pretty girl peppering Fred with kisses as she leaves.
Fred and Pongo leave the Parkers' drinking a reviving cup of tea after their bizarre ordeal, and in the street meet Mr Roddis, the owner of the house. Fred introduces himself as Mr J. G. Bulstrode, a neighbour on the street, and Pongo as Percy Frensham, a dealer in lard and imported butter. He tells Roddis he has seen some people breaking into his house, points through the window to the tea-drinking couple, advises Roddis to call the police, and he and a shaken Pongo head back to town.
Thus is Pongo's demeanour, on hearing he has to face another visit from his uncle, explained.
as Uncle Fred.
The BBC
also adapted the story for television as part of their Comedy Playhouse. Written and produced by Michael Mills
, it starred Wilfrid Hyde-White
as Uncle Fred and Jonathan Cecil
as Pongo. The 25-minute show was first broadcast on June 16, 1967.
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 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 United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the July 1935 edition of Redbook
Redbook
Redbook is an American women's magazine published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines.-History:...
, and in the United Kingdom
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 1935 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 collection Young Men in Spats
Young Men in Spats
Young Men in Spats is a collection of short stories by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 3 April 1936 by Herbert Jenkins, London, then in the United States with a slightly different selection of stories on 23 July 1936 by Doubleday, Doran, New York.The collection, recounting...
(1936).
It marks the first appearances of Pongo Twistleton
Pongo Twistleton
Reginald "Pongo" Twistleton is a character in the Uncle Fred books by P. G. Wodehouse. A member of the Drones Club in London, he's a nervous young man described by Sally Painter, the woman who loves him, as a "baa-lamb"...
and his mischievous Uncle Fred
Uncle Fred
Frederick Altamont Cornwallis Twistleton, 5th Earl of Ickenham, commonly known as Uncle Fred, is a fictional character who appears in short stories and novels written by P. G. Wodehouse between 1935 and 1961...
, who would go on to appear in four novels, including two visits to Blandings Castle
Blandings Castle
Blandings Castle is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being the seat of Lord Emsworth , home to many of his family, and setting for numerous tales and adventures, written between 1915 and 1975.The series of stories which take place at the castle,...
.
Plot
Our tale is told by a CrumpetCrumpet
A crumpet is a savoury griddle cake made from flour and yeast. It is eaten mainly in the United Kingdom and other nations of the Commonwealth. Crumpets are somewhat similar in appearance, not in flavor, to North American pancakes, where both have pores caused by expanding air bubbles.- Etymology...
to a guest at the 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....
. On seeing Pongo Twistleton
Pongo Twistleton
Reginald "Pongo" Twistleton is a character in the Uncle Fred books by P. G. Wodehouse. A member of the Drones Club in London, he's a nervous young man described by Sally Painter, the woman who loves him, as a "baa-lamb"...
acting in a distracted and despairing manner, the Crumpet explains that a visit from Pongo's notorious Uncle Fred
Uncle Fred
Frederick Altamont Cornwallis Twistleton, 5th Earl of Ickenham, commonly known as Uncle Fred, is a fictional character who appears in short stories and novels written by P. G. Wodehouse between 1935 and 1961...
is imminent, and that previous visits have shown that despair is the only sensible option in such circumstances. He relates one particular incident...
When Uncle Fred suggests to his nephew a visit to a suburb, once an estate owned by an uncle when he was younger, Pongo is amazed and relieved, believing the suburbs do not hold anything like the opportunities offered by the city for someone like his Uncle to cut loose and cause havoc. They head down and inspect the old family land, but find themselves caught in a shower of rain and take shelter in a doorway.
The door is opened by a maid (Pongo can only assume his uncle has rung the bell), and Fred, finding the owners are away, gains access to the house by posing as someone come to clip the parrot
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
's claws, with Pongo introduced as his assistant Mr Walkinshaw. The maid leaves on an errand, and Fred makes himself comfortable in front of the gas fire.
The doorbell rings, and Fred answers it to a pink-faced man. The man asks if he is Mr Roddis, owner of the house, and Fred says he is, introducing Pongo as his son Douglas. The man, it emerges, is one Wilberforce Robinson, an eel-jellier
Jellied eels
Jellied eels is a traditional English dish that originated in the 18th century, primarily in London's East End. The dish consists of chopped eels boiled in a spiced stock that is allowed to cool and set, forming a jelly...
, who is in love with Roddis's wife's estranged sister Connie Parker's daughter Julia, but is disapproved of by the family as being beneath them socially, and has come to see Mr Roddis for help. When Julia, a very pretty girl in Pongo's estimation, arrives with her parents, Uncle Fred suggests Robinson hide behind the sofa to avoid trouble.
The Parkers enter, and Fred introduces Pongo as a stone-deaf parrot clipper. They tell the story of the eel-jellier wooing their daughter, and Julia insists she loves him, on which the man leaps from behind the couch and kisses her. Uncle Fred rubbishes the Parker's insistence that their family is superior to his, by claiming that various cousins and uncles made their money in immoral and even criminal ways. Though Mrs Parker denies all, Robinson sees it as vindication of his own family background, and claims all he needs is a hundred pounds to buy a share in a business. Uncle Fred provides the money at once, and Robinson and Julia leave delighted, the pretty girl peppering Fred with kisses as she leaves.
Fred and Pongo leave the Parkers' drinking a reviving cup of tea after their bizarre ordeal, and in the street meet Mr Roddis, the owner of the house. Fred introduces himself as Mr J. G. Bulstrode, a neighbour on the street, and Pongo as Percy Frensham, a dealer in lard and imported butter. He tells Roddis he has seen some people breaking into his house, points through the window to the tea-drinking couple, advises Roddis to call the police, and he and a shaken Pongo head back to town.
Thus is Pongo's demeanour, on hearing he has to face another visit from his uncle, explained.
Television
The story was made into an episode of "Four Star Playhouse" in 1955; the 80th of 127 episodes, it featured David NivenDavid Niven
James David Graham Niven , known as David Niven, was a British actor and novelist, best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and Sir Charles Lytton, a.k.a. "the Phantom", in The Pink Panther...
as Uncle Fred.
The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
also adapted the story for television as part of their Comedy Playhouse. Written and produced by Michael Mills
Michael Mills
Michael Mills was an Irish journalist who served as Ireland's first Ombudsman for two terms beginning in 1984. He retired from the office in 1994....
, it starred Wilfrid Hyde-White
Wilfrid Hyde-White
Wilfrid Hyde-White was an English character actor.-Early life and career:Wilfrid Hyde White was born at the rectory in Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire, the son of William Edward White, canon of Gloucester Cathedral, and his wife, Ethel Adelaide Drought...
as Uncle Fred and Jonathan Cecil
Jonathan Cecil
Jonathan Hugh Gascoyne-Cecil , more commonly known as Jonathan Cecil, was an English theatre, film and television actor.-Early life:...
as Pongo. The 25-minute show was first broadcast on June 16, 1967.
See also
- A full list of Uncle Fred and Pongo's adventures
- A categorised list of Wodehouse's shorts
External links
- Details of the BBC adaptation from the BBC Comedy guide