RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33533, 14 May 1974, Page 17

RANDOM REMINDER

PANACEA

Elderly gentlemen sometimes get even quainter ideas than young ones. There is a very senior citizen in Christchurch who recently fell victim to a prevalent malady, but he was firmly convinced that he, and only he, was a sufferer from it He was not happy about this, and directed much of his disenchantment at his wife. He reckoned he was on the point of death, and concluded that his “wim-

min” as he called her, was not providing a proper diet for him. “Call yourself a cook?” he said, in his direct way. “I’ll show you that you’re not feeding me right. That’s what’s wrong with me. I need decent tucker.” So he shot off into the garden, 80-odd years old and all, and came back with an enormous pile of silver beet. This, he announced, was the bodybuilder of them all. He washed it carefully, he supervised its prepara-

tion, he strained it, and turned it into a vegetable dish; there was more than enough for everyone. He helped himself to a substantial portion. It looked delectable, except for the strange golden strands running through it. He had managed to boil the pot mit as well. There were no takers for his “decent tucker.” But he was right, about silver beet. He has had no more complaints, physical or verbal. And she’s back in business as the family cook.