I'LL send it to Bob Cratchit's!' decides a very merry Scrooge on Christmas morning, rubbing his hands with glee at the thought of the 'prize turkey'-'twice the size of Tiny Tim'-that will soon be gracing the table of his long-suffering employee and his family. A heart-warming sign of his redemption, it must be one of the most famous gift-giving scenes in literature, in one of the world's best-loved Christmas books. But shop around (as we must at this time of year) and you can gather a whole stocking-full of fictional presents: memorable, comical and relatable gifts that go on giving, every time we unwrap them anew.
In literature, as in life, the most appreciated presents are sometimes the most thoughtful ones, no matter how humble. "Tes mine?' says aged and underappreciated farmhand Adam Lambsbreath, staring at the neat little washingup mop Flora Poste assures him will better 'cletter the dishes' than the thorn-spiked twig she finds him using at the eponymous Cold Comfort Farm. So enamoured of the handsome gift is he (although, perhaps, determined not to be swayed from a habit of 'fifty years and more') that he hangs it reverentially 'above t' gurt old greasy washin'-up water' -much to his benefactor's annoyance.
Occasionally, the wrapping alone is enough to excite: we probably all know a Winnie-thePooh, who, when given a 'Special Pencil Case' by Christopher Robin to thank him for effecting the brave rescue of Piglet from the flood, opened it 'as quickly as ever he could, but without cutting the string, because you never know when a bit of string might be Useful'.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 06, 2023-Ausgabe von Country Life UK.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 06, 2023-Ausgabe von Country Life UK.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
