Sunday, August 12, 2018

The Idler, Monday, August 13, 2018

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Snow goose again

 

THAT snow goose just keeps on circling. Last week we discussed a reading at the St Clement's arts soiree of Paul Gallico's moving novella, The Snow Goose. To recap: this concerns a reclusive hunchback artist named Rhayader who lives in an old lighthouse on the Essex marshes, in England, and a girl named Frith.

 

Together they nurse back to health a Canadian snow goose that has been wounded by hunters. A strong three-way bond develops over the years. The snow goose announces its return from migration by flying three times round the lighthouse.

 

Frith grows into a woman. World War II breaks out. British troops in France are trapped on the beach at Dunkirk. The famous flotilla of "little ships" sets out to rescue them from across the English Channel. Rhayader joins them in his small sailing boat.

 

Frith watches as he sails down the Thames estuary, the snow goose flying circles round his mast.

 

Then soldiers describe how they were rescued from the shot and shell of Dunkirk, where they were sitting ducks, by a strange little hunchback who seemed to be guided by a goose flying about his boat. He took them to a larger vessel offshore, then went back to the beach again and again.

 

Frith is standing on the sea wall when she sees the snow goose return alone. She realises Rhayader hasn't made it. The goose flies three times round the lighthouse then sets off. Frith suddenly realises her relationship with Rhayader was love. The snow goose represents his departing soul.

 

It's a most affecting story. As I said last week, barely a dry eye in the house at St Clement's.

 

Now reader Val de Beer takes over. Val taught English for 15 years at Durban Girls' College. After she retired she was approached by another school – boys as well as girls – and asked to help out.

 

"One afternoon I read them The Snow Goose and they were captivated.

 

"Some of those young people had undergone very difficult experiences in their young lives so when I was given a poem, which one of the boys wrote for me, I was very moved by it.

 

"Later, I wrote this poem after I had been thinking about him and the other pupils. I thought that you may like it.

 

 

'You were our snow goose'

He wrote in a poem to me that I'll never forget.

I'd read them the book –

How the snow goose came

When there was trouble.

Rhayader saved the men in the boats at Dunkirk

And the goose

Whirled around above them.

When there was a landmine near the boat

The goose warned the men away.

After Rhayader's death

When the men were safe,

Frith saw the snow goose

Encircle the lighthouse

Three times

And finally leave.

'You were our snow goose,

You came when we needed you

And showed us what to do'

He said.

Disappointment

Sadness

Rage, loss and pain.

All part of their everyday lives.

'But you were our snow goose.'

All I could do was try my best

To show them another world,

Another way to cope,

Something to strive towards.

Then finally

I had to leave.

That's absolutely beautiful, Val, fully in keeping with Gallico's story. Most affecting.

 

Great move

PAUL Gallico was an American who began his career as a sportswriter in the 1920s – and a highly successful one who set himself up in a sparring bout with the great Jack Dempsey. He whacked Dempsey a bit hard and was later able to describe to his readers what it was like to be knocked out by the heavyweight champion.

In the late 1930s, he abandoned sports writing for fiction, first writing an essay about this decision entitled "Farewell to Sport". Most prolific he was too.

The Snow Goose was published in 1941 and won him the O Henry Award for short stories. (O Henry – there was another master of the craft). As I say, prolific. Short stories, film scripts. His 1969 book, The Poseidon Adventure, made a great movie.

Most would agree that Gallico's shift from sportswriting was a good move.

 

Tailpiece

WHAT'S Irish and hangs out in the back yard?

Patty O'Furniture.

Last word

MORE people are flattered into virtue than bullied out of vice. – RS Surtees

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