Leave it to Algy

"Leave it to Algy"
Author P. G. Wodehouse
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Series Drones Club
Genre(s) Comedy
Publisher Blue Book
Media type Print (Magazine)
Publication date May 1954

"Leave it to Algy" is a short story by British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse and part of the Drones Club canon. First published in the US in Blue Book in 1954 under the title "The Ordeal of Bingo Little", the story was later partially rewritten and retitled "Leave it to Algy". The story was included in the 1959 short story collection A Few Quick Ones.[1]

The recurring characters Bingo Little, Bingo's wife Rosie M. Banks, and Oofy Prosser appear in the story. The story takes place at a seaside resort. Bingo judges a Bonny Babies contest and tries to keep Rosie from learning about his latest unsuccessful wager with help from Oofy Prosser.

Plot

Bingo Little, his wife Rosie, and their infant son Algernon Aubrey, or "Algy", are on vacation at the seaside resort Bramley-on-Sea. Also there are Henry Cuthbert Purkiss, the manager of the magazine for children Wee Tots which Bingo works for, his wife Julia Purkiss, Oofy Prosser, and the American cartoonist Wally Judd. Before heading to London for the day, Rosie tells Bingo to report his missing gold cufflinks to the police, so they can check pawn shops. Bingo is concerned because he secretly pawned the cufflinks for five pounds to back a losing horse.

Rosie leaves, and Bingo sees his boss Purkiss, who is upset that he has to judge a Bonny Babies contest the next day. Bingo takes the job off his hands in exchange for five pounds. Unfortunately, the five pound note is blown away by the wind, and Bingo cannot chase the money since he has to watch over Algy, who, when unsupervised, is apt to hit men wearing Homburg hats with the spade he makes sand castles with.

"Putting it in words of one syllable, I will bring the young thug to the trysting place, affecting to be its uncle. You will then, after careful consideration, award it the first prize. And if you're worrying about whether such a scheme is strictly honest, forget it. The prize will only be an all-day sucker or a woolly muffler or something. It isn't as if money were involved."

— Oofy tells Bingo his plan[2]

When Bingo sees Oofy, he tells Oofy about his dilemma. Oofy suggests a plan: Oofy will pretend to be Algy's uncle and enter him in the Bonny Babies contest. Bingo will then declare Algy the winner, and this will make Rosie so happy that she will forget about the cufflinks. Bingo is nervous about the plan, because Algy is an unattractive baby, but he agrees. Oofy then leaves to make a telephone call to his bookmaker in London, and bets ten pounds that his "nephew" will win the Bonny Babies contest. When Oofy returns to Bingo, he says he will also give Bingo five pounds after the contest, so Bingo can buy back his cufflinks. Bingo is grateful.

At the contest, Oofy fails to appear with Algy. Bingo selects a winner at random. A police officer comes, saying that a Mrs. Purkiss saw a man with Bingo's baby and had him arrested for kidnapping. Bingo gets Oofy released. Oofy, who had an altercation with a constable, refuses to give Bingo five pounds. The police return Algy to Bingo. Later at the beach, Algy hits a man in a Homburg hat with a spade. Bingo tries to apologize, but the man, the cartoonist Wally Judd, is only too pleased to see Algy and pays Bingo twenty pounds to use Algy as a model for a villain in his comic strip. Bingo happily agrees and goes to the pawn shop.

Background

In the story, it is mentioned that Oofy Prosser agreed to become Algernon Aubrey Little's godfather with the understanding that, having provided a christening gift, Oofy would not be expected to give Algernon Aubrey any future gifts. This reflects Wodehouse's real agreement to become godfather to Frances Donaldson's daughter Rose on the understanding that after the obligatory christening gift, there would be no expectation of future presents.[3]

Publication history

An early version of the story, titled "The Ordeal of Bingo Little", was published in Blue Book in May 1954, with illustrations by Walt Wetterberg. A shorter version of the story was published with the title "Leave it to Algy" in John Bull on May 16, 1959, illustrated by Edwin Phillips.[4]

The story was included in the 1959 short story collection A Few Quick Ones, and in the 1982 short story collection, Tales from the Drones Club.[5]

See also

References

Notes
  1. ↑ McIlvaine (1990), p. 94, A82b, and p. 144, D6.1.
  2. ↑ Wodehouse (1993) [1959], chapter 7, p. 136.
  3. ↑ Phelps, Barry (1992). P. G. Wodehouse: Man and Myth. London: Constable and Company Limited. p. 185. ISBN 009471620X.
  4. ↑ McIlvaine (1990), p. 144, D6.1, and p. 172, D98.9.
  5. ↑ McIlvaine (1990), p. 94, A82b, and p. 126, B25.
Bibliography
  • McIlvaine, Eileen; Sherby, Louise S.; Heineman, James H. (1990). P. G. Wodehouse: A Comprehensive Bibliography and Checklist. New York: James H. Heineman Inc. ISBN 978-0-87008-125-5.
  • Wodehouse, P. G. (1993) [1959]. A Few Quick Ones (Reprinted ed.). London: The Guernsey Press Co. Ltd. ISBN 0099819503.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.