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Press, 7 December 1981, Page 29

STUMPED

It was a winter’s day. snow threatening, but mother and’ daughter were beautifully warm as they stepped out of their wet costumes and dried their soaked bodies, as they had just spent a happy half hour in the glorious pools at Hanmer. They were in a hurry, as they had shopping to do before they could return to the refuge of their motel. The mother was half-dressed when she realised she had not put on her girdle. To save time, she decided to leave it off. Once fully dressed, she rolled it up and shoved it under her parka; then she and her daughter marched off to the shopping centre. Being women, they had to go into all the shops and have a really good browse round before heading back to their motel. Once inside, the mother took off her parka. Consternation — no girdle. It was an expensive garment and she insisted they retrace their steps in search of it.’Her daughter was strongly against this idea, not because of the inclement weather but because of the embarrassment should the erring article be found. Her mother was adamant. She couldn't afford to lose it. It was a terrible journey; very perplexing to those higher up, with the

mother praying they would find it. and the daughter praying they would not. The mother enquired of shopkeepers, as the daughter humiliatedly hung in the rear, but no clue as to the whereabouts of the missing girdle was forthcoming. Finally, much to the daughter’s relief, her mother gave up and they started off on the return trip to the motel through the long avenue of trees. Like an apparition, draped conspicuously over the trunk of a tree for all the world to gaze upon, was mother’s missing girdle. They stopped dead. It seemed people were everywhere, all eyes on the shameful garment itself or incrimihatingly glaring at them. As though it were no concern of theirs, they walked a little way from the decorated tree stump and held a brief council of war. It was agreed that when there was the least number of people about, the mother would approach in a tacking movemment. On reaching the tree she would grab the offending article, stuff it up her parka, then make for the motel, her daughter following. This they did, striding sedately, silently along’; neither looking to right nor left, nor at ease.