The History Of Mr Polly: H.G. Wells

Mr Polly is a sparkier Kipps- a clever, word-drunk, little man who discovers- just before it's too late- that "if the world does not please you, you can change it."  In many ways Polly anticipates the Chaplin persona- with the difference that the menace and slapstick violence of his world are as frightening as they're funny. When nasty Uncle Jim says "I'll kick you ugly" he absolutely means it.. This was Wells's favourite among his books- a  comic romp with soul- and if not absolutely his masterpiece (that has to be Tono-Bungay) a book that displays him at the very top of his form. 

Childhood Fears

Fabi is terrified of the rabbits. He can't be in the same space as them. He can't even be in the room next to where they are.  He insists they bite- though I don't believe one has ever bitten him. Perhaps we warned him they bit when he was a toddler to stop him from poking them in the eyes. You never know with kids what damage a well-intended, thoughtless word will do.

Kids are unaccountable in their fears. I remember I was scared to the same pitch of hysteria by a cartoon cowboy- and ventriloquist's doll- called Hank. When the theme music started I had about three seconds to run from the room before his dead-eyed puppet face, with its big droopy moustaches, popped out of nowhere and filled the screen. Hank was supposed to be a lovable character

What do you do?  Yesterday we went and sat in the back yard and all the time he was yelling and screaming about rabbits.  I took him into the ginnel- away from the rabbit- and he kicked the football for a minute or two, but then the horrors returned.

Fabi and Christa

Fabi (on the lookout for rabbits), Ailz and Christa

Christa

Christa at 8 months