April 9, 2025 • 14 mins
Eight girls and their dog Timmy Loo take a summer break filled with cooking, self-discovery, and hilarious misadventures in this delightful vacation story. Discover hundreds of ad-free audiobooks, soothing sounds for sleep and meditation, and more—unwind and learn at www.adfreebooks.com!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Domain fritters and salad. What are we going to have
for supper, Daisy asked Nan, as arm in arm, they
sauntered toward the cottage. I don't know, I'm sure, but Nanny,
just look at those clouds, those gorgeous ones behind the
clump of pine trees, all gold and pink, pushing themselves
(00:23):
through the green. Yes, they are beautiful. The sun never
sets like that at home, does it. No? Oh, here's
a vegetable man's cart. Wonder what he's around so late for.
But suppose we get some of his things, because I
know there's nothing in the house to cook. Yes, let's
(00:43):
give them a vegetable supper. They ought to have a
light meal after that hearty dinner. What shall we buy
whatever he has the freshest, replied Marguerite with one of
her wisest nods. Good afternoon, the ladies, called out the huckster,
reining up his horse. What'll ye have in my lane?
(01:07):
Have you any very nice asparagus? Asked Marguerite. Grass. No, Mum,
it's a little late for grass nice agpe plants now?
Or califlower? Oh, califlower, cried Nan. That will be fine.
You can make a salad, so I can, said Marguerite.
And here's a lovely looking corn. You make some of
(01:29):
your delicious corn fritters, I will, said Nan. Let's buy
a watermelon and then with bread and butter and coffee,
that'll be enough. Seems we ought to have made a dessert,
said Marguerite, as they followed the hucksters slowly moving vehicle
to the house. I'll make a snow pudding, said Nan.
(01:50):
Let's give them a real bang up supper. All right,
said Marguerite, and the two fell to work with such
figure that Rosy stared at them in astonishment, for she
had secretly thought this particular duet ornamental rather than useful.
Fly around, Rosy, said Marguerite to the smiling Irish girl.
(02:11):
Husk this corn please, and cut it carefully from the ears.
We want to make fritters. Perhaps you'd better grate it.
No cut it, said Anne. It's so young and tender.
Well cut it. Rosy went on the matron, and then
boil the califlower for twenty minutes in salted water. Oh
you'd better do that now before you fix the corn,
(02:33):
so it can get ice cold for the salad. But
Rosy put in Nan, first, I wish you'd get the
eggs out for me, and just open the box of
gelatin and put it to soak in the cold water.
There ain't no eggs, miss, announced Rosy, after a search
in the cupboard. Oh what a shame. I've set my
(02:55):
heart on making snow pudding. Well, Rosy, can't you run
up to the grocer's and get some. It won't take
a minute. Yes'm said the willing maid, and away she went.
Oh dear, groaned Marguerite. She didn't put the cawflower on
to cook. She might have done that before she started.
(03:16):
I'll do it, said Nan. Is it that it must
be washed? Yes, of course. Oh no, I don't know,
replied Marguerite, somewhat vaguely. Does it look soiled? Not much,
said Nan cheerfully. Just a few stains of good old
mother Earth on its fair face. That won't hurt anybody,
(03:36):
So here it goes. She dropped the cauliflower into a
kettle of water and set it on the stove. We'll
have everything served separately, said the canny Marguerite, and then
it will seem like more. Somehow, I don't see much
around to eat. Oh there's plenty, said Nan, who was
weighing the sugar. Corn fritters are hardy, you know. Rosy
(04:01):
soon returned with the eggs, and the preparations went on merrily.
Nan sang, and Marguerite whistled, and occasionally they bumped against
each other, and then waltzed a few turns around the kitchen. Now, Rosy,
supply me with oil and vinegar and salt and pepper,
and I'll whisk up this mayonnaise in a jiffy. Phew,
(04:22):
what's burning? It was the cauliflower, but luckily it was
only scorched on one side. Marguerite pared off the brown part,
pronounced it done, and set it to coola. Don't speak
to me, cried Nan, who is wildly manipulating a dover beater.
(04:43):
This snow pudding won't snow. It never will when I'm
in a hurry. Never mind, Dearie, It'll be just as
good soft it won't, wailed Nan. And Betty will make
fun of it. Hers are always perfect. Well, you're perfect,
so who cares about a pudding more or less? But jimmyy,
(05:03):
when are you goin to make the corn fritters. The
girls will be here in a minute. I can make
corn fritters, Miss, Shall I be after doin' em, said Rosy.
Oh do, cried Nan, still beating away for dear life,
And get the frying pan on the stove. It wants
to be awfully hot. An then somehow the thing's got done.
(05:24):
The snow pudding was nearly a success. The cauliflower salad
looked fine, and as for Rosy's corn fritters, they were
a melting gold brown that appealed very strongly to two
hungry cooks. How many are there, Rosy asked Nan, eyeing
the pile. Thirteen, Miss, the corn wouldn't make no more
(05:47):
thirteen an unlucky number, exclaimed Marguerite. Nanny, let's eat one,
an offer our friends a decent dozen, all right, said Nan,
and a fritter was carefully have an eaten with relish.
Those are simply great, said Marguerite, with a hungry glance
at the heaping up plate. You like them, don't you, Rosy? No, ma'am,
(06:11):
I never touches corn in any way. You don't now
see here, Nan, We would of course have left two
for Rosy, and she doesn't care for them, and the
other girls haven't come yet. Lets you and I eat
Rosy's share now, Nan willingly agreed, and the plate was
further depleted by two. Still the girls came. Not it's ridiculous,
(06:36):
said Nan, in a hesitating way, to serve ten fritters
to eight people when a piece seems so much more reasonable.
It does, said Marguerite, solemnly, nodding her pretty head. Let's
so arrange matters that eight shall be served. Whereupon the
girls appropriated one more fritter apiece and declared that they
(06:57):
really increased in deliciousness. Then they sat and wondered why
the girls didn't come. It's just half past, said Nan.
I supposed they'd be here howling before this, do you know,
said Marguerite. I don't feel like waiting, and I don't
believe they care if we You and I, I mean,
(07:17):
eight are two fritters, now, there's so much better hot.
We'll do it, said Nan. Two of them are ours,
of course, so two more of Rosy's fritters had just
disappeared when a barking announced the approach of the cavalcade supper, Ready,
cried Betty as they all trooped in. Yes, said Marguerite,
(07:39):
beaming with pride at her ability to answer the question
in the affirmative. Bring it in Rosy. The girls seated
themselves at the table, and Timmy Leo walst gayly about
in great expectation when Rosy brought the plate of six
corn fritters and passed it round. Oh how good, cried Margery,
(08:00):
helping herself. I just love these things. It's so nice
of you not to bake them all at once. They're lovely.
Just off the pan, hurry up the next lot. Rosy,
Nan blushed, and the thought seriously slipped under the table.
But Marguerite said blandly, Oh, these are individual fritters. There's
(08:21):
only one apiece, and Nan and I ate ours before
you came. What made you so late? Only one apiece,
exclaimed Betty, ignoring Marguerite's question. Why I could eat six?
So could I said Mellicent. But Margerie went on airily, Pooh,
don't you think we're going to have nothing else? There
(08:43):
are several courses yet to come. This mullified the girls,
and each ate her fritter hopefully, while Nan and Marguerite
chattered very fast to hide they're rapidly growing embarrassment. The
next course was the salad, though it did seem as
if something else ought to have preceded it. Hum, said Marjorie,
(09:06):
as the not over bounteous looking bull was placed before her.
I see the salads are also to be served individually.
Mine looks very nice. No, no, cried Nan, But Marguerite
laughed gaily and said, why you girls would ruin a
hotel proprietor how can you want so much to eat? No, madame,
(09:29):
we offer you a variety in our service. The salad
is to be served at table. Just then, Rosy brought
out eight plates, and by careful division, the Duchess portioned
to each about a tablespoonful of salad. There's really plenty
of it, after all, said Betty, laying down her fork
(09:50):
after the first taste, Why, said Marguerite, hurriedly trying hers.
Oh it's scorched, isn't it? Well? You see see it
burned a little while it was cooking. But I thought
we scraped the burnt part off. Queer, how that scorchy
taste permeates the whole thing. Take it away, Rosy, said Marjorie.
(10:12):
Remove the smoked salad and delight our eyes with the
next course. The next delicacy seemed to be a great
bowl of yellow custard dessert already said Jesse. Oh, perhaps
we're having one of those backward dinners I've read about them.
You begin with coffee and end with soup. You know,
I love custard, said Millicent. What do we eat it on?
(10:36):
It's it's a snow pudding, fultered Nan. Oh, so it is,
cried Millicent. And the snow has all melted. I think
it's down underneath, nan went on hopefully. Of course, it
must be replied teasy, Millicent, get the snowshovel. Perhaps we
can dig it up. However, the dessert was all eaten.
For a snow pudding tastes good even when its shape
(11:00):
is not all that could be desired. What something else?
Cried Millicent, as Rosy appeared with a pile of fresh plates.
You astonish me, girls, you really oughtn't to overfeed us
in this mad fashion. A watermelon, as I live, the
great green melon was hailed with delight by all, and
(11:23):
except that it was a bit warmish for having traveled
about in the sun all day, it was pronounced extremely satisfactory.
Coffee followed, and Betty remarked that that made up in
quality and quantity for what the other courses had lacked
in both. Some of the things didn't turn out quite right,
(11:43):
admitted Marguerite. But you had quite enough of them. You
cannot expect the lavishness of a nero on five dollars
a week. Let's go in the grotto and write in
the white cap, said Helen, who always interposed when Betty
and Marguerite began a discuss. So into the grotto they went,
and while Helen picked out her banjo, and Nan and
(12:06):
Jesse sang, the others made up brimes for their book.
After some struggles, in which Marguerite joined with as much
goodwill as the others, they produced this masterpiece, which they
read aloud to the musicians, who applauded most heartily. Omelet's
soliloquy by the cook to fry or fry? Not? That
(12:30):
is the question? Whether tis better in this pan to
sizzle a scarce and scanty lot of small corn fritters,
and by devouring in them to fry to brown no more?
And by this dish to say we fill our suffering
companions and ourselves fritters and salad. 'tis a combination devoutly
(12:55):
to be wished to fry, to brown, to brown, perchance
to burn. Ay, there's the rub for in the kitchen range,
what flames may come when we have shoveled on this
mortal coal. But who would want the roasts of beef
or lamb, the apple pie, welsh rare bit, double crabs,
(13:17):
the quail on toast, or duck with canvas back when
he might such a royal dinner make with a corn fritter?
Who would these dainties wish and run the risk of
a nightmare or of gout. And so the thought of
soda mints to come impels us to be careful what
we eat, and makes us rather bear the ills we
(13:41):
have than fly to others that we know not of.
Thus indigestion doth make cowards of us all. And so
instead of rich meringues and pastry, instead of oysters, terrapin,
or pie, give us a single fritter. End of Chapter
eight four
Domain fritters and salad. What are we going to have
for supper, Daisy asked Nan, as arm in arm, they
sauntered toward the cottage. I don't know, I'm sure, but Nanny,
just look at those clouds, those gorgeous ones behind the
clump of pine trees, all gold and pink, pushing themselves
(00:23):
through the green. Yes, they are beautiful. The sun never
sets like that at home, does it. No? Oh, here's
a vegetable man's cart. Wonder what he's around so late for.
But suppose we get some of his things, because I
know there's nothing in the house to cook. Yes, let's
(00:43):
give them a vegetable supper. They ought to have a
light meal after that hearty dinner. What shall we buy
whatever he has the freshest, replied Marguerite with one of
her wisest nods. Good afternoon, the ladies, called out the huckster,
reining up his horse. What'll ye have in my lane?
(01:07):
Have you any very nice asparagus? Asked Marguerite. Grass. No, Mum,
it's a little late for grass nice agpe plants now?
Or califlower? Oh, califlower, cried Nan. That will be fine.
You can make a salad, so I can, said Marguerite.
And here's a lovely looking corn. You make some of
(01:29):
your delicious corn fritters, I will, said Nan. Let's buy
a watermelon and then with bread and butter and coffee,
that'll be enough. Seems we ought to have made a dessert,
said Marguerite, as they followed the hucksters slowly moving vehicle
to the house. I'll make a snow pudding, said Nan.
(01:50):
Let's give them a real bang up supper. All right,
said Marguerite, and the two fell to work with such
figure that Rosy stared at them in astonishment, for she
had secretly thought this particular duet ornamental rather than useful.
Fly around, Rosy, said Marguerite to the smiling Irish girl.
(02:11):
Husk this corn please, and cut it carefully from the ears.
We want to make fritters. Perhaps you'd better grate it.
No cut it, said Anne. It's so young and tender.
Well cut it. Rosy went on the matron, and then
boil the califlower for twenty minutes in salted water. Oh
you'd better do that now before you fix the corn,
(02:33):
so it can get ice cold for the salad. But
Rosy put in Nan, first, I wish you'd get the
eggs out for me, and just open the box of
gelatin and put it to soak in the cold water.
There ain't no eggs, miss, announced Rosy, after a search
in the cupboard. Oh what a shame. I've set my
(02:55):
heart on making snow pudding. Well, Rosy, can't you run
up to the grocer's and get some. It won't take
a minute. Yes'm said the willing maid, and away she went.
Oh dear, groaned Marguerite. She didn't put the cawflower on
to cook. She might have done that before she started.
(03:16):
I'll do it, said Nan. Is it that it must
be washed? Yes, of course. Oh no, I don't know,
replied Marguerite, somewhat vaguely. Does it look soiled? Not much,
said Nan cheerfully. Just a few stains of good old
mother Earth on its fair face. That won't hurt anybody,
(03:36):
So here it goes. She dropped the cauliflower into a
kettle of water and set it on the stove. We'll
have everything served separately, said the canny Marguerite, and then
it will seem like more. Somehow, I don't see much
around to eat. Oh there's plenty, said Nan, who was
weighing the sugar. Corn fritters are hardy, you know. Rosy
(04:01):
soon returned with the eggs, and the preparations went on merrily.
Nan sang, and Marguerite whistled, and occasionally they bumped against
each other, and then waltzed a few turns around the kitchen. Now, Rosy,
supply me with oil and vinegar and salt and pepper,
and I'll whisk up this mayonnaise in a jiffy. Phew,
(04:22):
what's burning? It was the cauliflower, but luckily it was
only scorched on one side. Marguerite pared off the brown part,
pronounced it done, and set it to coola. Don't speak
to me, cried Nan, who is wildly manipulating a dover beater.
(04:43):
This snow pudding won't snow. It never will when I'm
in a hurry. Never mind, Dearie, It'll be just as
good soft it won't, wailed Nan. And Betty will make
fun of it. Hers are always perfect. Well, you're perfect,
so who cares about a pudding more or less? But jimmyy,
(05:03):
when are you goin to make the corn fritters. The
girls will be here in a minute. I can make
corn fritters, Miss, Shall I be after doin' em, said Rosy.
Oh do, cried Nan, still beating away for dear life,
And get the frying pan on the stove. It wants
to be awfully hot. An then somehow the thing's got done.
(05:24):
The snow pudding was nearly a success. The cauliflower salad
looked fine, and as for Rosy's corn fritters, they were
a melting gold brown that appealed very strongly to two
hungry cooks. How many are there, Rosy asked Nan, eyeing
the pile. Thirteen, Miss, the corn wouldn't make no more
(05:47):
thirteen an unlucky number, exclaimed Marguerite. Nanny, let's eat one,
an offer our friends a decent dozen, all right, said Nan,
and a fritter was carefully have an eaten with relish.
Those are simply great, said Marguerite, with a hungry glance
at the heaping up plate. You like them, don't you, Rosy? No, ma'am,
(06:11):
I never touches corn in any way. You don't now
see here, Nan, We would of course have left two
for Rosy, and she doesn't care for them, and the
other girls haven't come yet. Lets you and I eat
Rosy's share now, Nan willingly agreed, and the plate was
further depleted by two. Still the girls came. Not it's ridiculous,
(06:36):
said Nan, in a hesitating way, to serve ten fritters
to eight people when a piece seems so much more reasonable.
It does, said Marguerite, solemnly, nodding her pretty head. Let's
so arrange matters that eight shall be served. Whereupon the
girls appropriated one more fritter apiece and declared that they
(06:57):
really increased in deliciousness. Then they sat and wondered why
the girls didn't come. It's just half past, said Nan.
I supposed they'd be here howling before this, do you know,
said Marguerite. I don't feel like waiting, and I don't
believe they care if we You and I, I mean,
(07:17):
eight are two fritters, now, there's so much better hot.
We'll do it, said Nan. Two of them are ours,
of course, so two more of Rosy's fritters had just
disappeared when a barking announced the approach of the cavalcade supper, Ready,
cried Betty as they all trooped in. Yes, said Marguerite,
(07:39):
beaming with pride at her ability to answer the question
in the affirmative. Bring it in Rosy. The girls seated
themselves at the table, and Timmy Leo walst gayly about
in great expectation when Rosy brought the plate of six
corn fritters and passed it round. Oh how good, cried Margery,
(08:00):
helping herself. I just love these things. It's so nice
of you not to bake them all at once. They're lovely.
Just off the pan, hurry up the next lot. Rosy,
Nan blushed, and the thought seriously slipped under the table.
But Marguerite said blandly, Oh, these are individual fritters. There's
(08:21):
only one apiece, and Nan and I ate ours before
you came. What made you so late? Only one apiece,
exclaimed Betty, ignoring Marguerite's question. Why I could eat six?
So could I said Mellicent. But Margerie went on airily, Pooh,
don't you think we're going to have nothing else? There
(08:43):
are several courses yet to come. This mullified the girls,
and each ate her fritter hopefully, while Nan and Marguerite
chattered very fast to hide they're rapidly growing embarrassment. The
next course was the salad, though it did seem as
if something else ought to have preceded it. Hum, said Marjorie,
(09:06):
as the not over bounteous looking bull was placed before her.
I see the salads are also to be served individually.
Mine looks very nice. No, no, cried Nan, But Marguerite
laughed gaily and said, why you girls would ruin a
hotel proprietor how can you want so much to eat? No, madame,
(09:29):
we offer you a variety in our service. The salad
is to be served at table. Just then, Rosy brought
out eight plates, and by careful division, the Duchess portioned
to each about a tablespoonful of salad. There's really plenty
of it, after all, said Betty, laying down her fork
(09:50):
after the first taste, Why, said Marguerite, hurriedly trying hers.
Oh it's scorched, isn't it? Well? You see see it
burned a little while it was cooking. But I thought
we scraped the burnt part off. Queer, how that scorchy
taste permeates the whole thing. Take it away, Rosy, said Marjorie.
(10:12):
Remove the smoked salad and delight our eyes with the
next course. The next delicacy seemed to be a great
bowl of yellow custard dessert already said Jesse. Oh, perhaps
we're having one of those backward dinners I've read about them.
You begin with coffee and end with soup. You know,
I love custard, said Millicent. What do we eat it on?
(10:36):
It's it's a snow pudding, fultered Nan. Oh, so it is,
cried Millicent. And the snow has all melted. I think
it's down underneath, nan went on hopefully. Of course, it
must be replied teasy, Millicent, get the snowshovel. Perhaps we
can dig it up. However, the dessert was all eaten.
For a snow pudding tastes good even when its shape
(11:00):
is not all that could be desired. What something else?
Cried Millicent, as Rosy appeared with a pile of fresh plates.
You astonish me, girls, you really oughtn't to overfeed us
in this mad fashion. A watermelon, as I live, the
great green melon was hailed with delight by all, and
(11:23):
except that it was a bit warmish for having traveled
about in the sun all day, it was pronounced extremely satisfactory.
Coffee followed, and Betty remarked that that made up in
quality and quantity for what the other courses had lacked
in both. Some of the things didn't turn out quite right,
(11:43):
admitted Marguerite. But you had quite enough of them. You
cannot expect the lavishness of a nero on five dollars
a week. Let's go in the grotto and write in
the white cap, said Helen, who always interposed when Betty
and Marguerite began a discuss. So into the grotto they went,
and while Helen picked out her banjo, and Nan and
(12:06):
Jesse sang, the others made up brimes for their book.
After some struggles, in which Marguerite joined with as much
goodwill as the others, they produced this masterpiece, which they
read aloud to the musicians, who applauded most heartily. Omelet's
soliloquy by the cook to fry or fry? Not? That
(12:30):
is the question? Whether tis better in this pan to
sizzle a scarce and scanty lot of small corn fritters,
and by devouring in them to fry to brown no more?
And by this dish to say we fill our suffering
companions and ourselves fritters and salad. 'tis a combination devoutly
(12:55):
to be wished to fry, to brown, to brown, perchance
to burn. Ay, there's the rub for in the kitchen range,
what flames may come when we have shoveled on this
mortal coal. But who would want the roasts of beef
or lamb, the apple pie, welsh rare bit, double crabs,
(13:17):
the quail on toast, or duck with canvas back when
he might such a royal dinner make with a corn fritter?
Who would these dainties wish and run the risk of
a nightmare or of gout. And so the thought of
soda mints to come impels us to be careful what
we eat, and makes us rather bear the ills we
(13:41):
have than fly to others that we know not of.
Thus indigestion doth make cowards of us all. And so
instead of rich meringues and pastry, instead of oysters, terrapin,
or pie, give us a single fritter. End of Chapter
eight four
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!