TOGETHERNESS

Press, 30 April 1981, Page 28

TOGETHERNESS

According to a recent poll of respectable married couples it was affirmed that the average couple go to bed primarily to steep. This stoic state is best attained without the distraction of weird noises in the night. A North Canterbury couple had been disturbed off and on for weeks by strange sounds, low grinding moans, emanating from the ceiling somewhere above their bed.

As time went by and spring way to'summer the mystery remained, both parties finding difficulty in achieving 'that state of temporary oblivion which 'one is entitled to after a hard day’s (work. Kindly proffered suggestions to attract sleep were not always met with unanimous approval. - Then it was realised the sounds were only heard when' there was a breeze. ■This led to the discovery of the culprit. ;Above their bedroom a weather-vane in 'the form of a metal rooster, swung fromN to W to S at the whim of the wind. Somehow, through the roof or rafters the. noise of its turning was greatly amplified on . reaching their bedroom. Hence ,'thg . removal of the rooster from its

hollow inetal holder would bring peace and a good night’s sleep. However, this required getting the ladder from the shed and clambering round the roof; not a major job but only remembered when clean and tidy taking off for work, or snug between the sheets. So it was postponed from windy night to windy night. Lying awake in bed his wife continually complained but refused to allow him to risk his neck wandering round the roof in.the dark. Day after day the job was genuinely forgotten. At last there came a Saturday morning when the husband vowpd he would, surprise his -wife by removing the beastly, rooster. Cautiously he carried half their 2-piece ladder to that part of the house nearest the weather-vane. Before climbing to the roof he returned to the garden shed for the pruners and a pruning saw to manicure a young tree whose big ideas were blocking out the light by their bedroom window. This achieved he scaled the ladder and was walking over the iron roof when he saw, coming across from the other side of the house, his wife with identical plans. Neither remotely aware of the other’s intentions, they both removed the rooster then returned the two halves of the extension ladder to the garden shed.