Memoirs of a London Doll
March 2, 2009
Chapter Synopsis
Memoirs of a London Doll
March 2, 2009
Chapter 8: A Narrow Escape
Lady Flora, her governess, and Maria are to visit the Zoological Gardens at
Regent’s Park. They first had an encounter with a parrot when Lady Flora
decided she had to touch the parrot’s tail, not with her own hand but
the hand of Maria which she had poked through the wires of his cage for that
purpose. Fortunately, Maria’s hand was rescued by the governess who instantly
drew back Flora’s hand and, by extension, Maria’s. They then moved
on to see the monkeys. Still trembling from the mishap at the parrot’s
cage, Maria was held up by Flora a little too close to the monkey cage. The
monkeys were jumping around, skipping and running all over the cage. However,
this one monkey, was just sitting still, near the bars, with his head bent down.
All of a sudden his hand darted out through the cage and was able to reach Maria
and tear her white veil off her bonnet. He ran up the wires squeaking and chattering
and then began to tear the veil all to pieces.
The group then went on to see the tigers and leopards and elephants and again went too close to be safe. However, the worst was to come later that evening.
Lady Flowerdale would attend the Italian Opera along with Lady Flora and Maria. Maria wore a new pink silk frock with white lace scarf and had a lovely bouquet of flowers placed in the sash of her frock. She, Lady Flora and Lady Flowerdale quite filled the carriage with all their silks, muslins, sparkles, and feathers. Upon arrival at the theatre, they made their way to a box and were seated. The place was full of light, and silks, muslins, lace, sparkles and fathers and chattering. Flora held Maria but had her head out over the box. The height was dreadful and looked to be a terrible distance down into the crowd. The opera started and grew very long and soon Lady Flora was having a hard time keeping awake, and Maria was growing more and more concerned that she was going to be dropped. Finally, she felt Flora’s hand open and Maria started a downward fall into the dark pit below. As her head was the heaviest part of her body, she fell head first and landed right into the upraised hat of a gentleman. Maria was returned to the box, still shaken from her narrow escape.
DISCUSSION:
Oh, now, I had to laugh at her near escape!! The parrot was too cute--and Maria was pretty glad she didn't get that nasty peck in her arm. And then the monkey--say, wasn't there a near monkey incident in Hitty Her First Hundred Years? let's see--oh, the island idol chapter!
And off she goes to the opera--another Hitty adventure, as I recall;
and her 'Lady Mama' falls asleep and drops her. Yes--another Hitty coincidence!!!
Of course, in Hitty, she is dropped in India, not the Opera.
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Memoirs was published in 1846 and Hitty in 1929. I wonder if Rachel Field read the Memoirs book?