BOY

I have to say this, I’m a big fan of Roald Dahl! Just so you know. Last Saturday, the Booksale handed me another book to be added to my Roald Dahl collection. Thanks. BOY! For only P60, which is great because in National Bookstore the book’s prize ranges from P200 to P400.

It’s an autobiography and Boy is the prequel of his Going Solo, which is also great. This book, just like his other books, is full of marvelous, funnylicious and juicylicious stories!
Stories of Roald’s childhood adventure with his family and friends!

Roald Dahl is the Man! No, he’s the Boy.



This is taken from the book:

St. Peter’s,
1925-9
(age 9-13)

Writing Home

Dear Mamma,

A man caled Mr. Nichell gave us a fine lecture last knight on birds, he told us how owls eat mice they eat the whole mouse skin and all, and then all the skin and bones goes into a sort of little parcel in side him and he puts it on the ground, and these are caled pellets, he showed us some pictures of some witch he has found, and of lates of other Birds.

Love from
Boy

Mind you the Headmaster was a clever fellow. He did not want our parents to think that those letters of ours were censored in this way, and therefore he never allowed us to correct a spelling mistake in the letter itself. If, for example, I had written…. Last Tuesday knight we had a lecture….., he would say:

“Don’t you know how to spell night?”

“Y-yes, sir, k-n-i-g-h-t.”

“Which kind, sir? I … I don’t understand.”

“The one in shining armour! The man on horseback! How do you say Tuesday night?”
“I… I… I’m not sure, sir.”

“It’s n-i-g-h-t, boy, n-i-g-h-t. Stay in and write it out for fifty times this afternoon. No, no! Don’t change it in the letter! You don’t want it any messier than it is! It must go as you wrote it!”

Thus, the unsuspecting parents received in this subtle way the impression that your letter had never been seen or censored or corrected by anyone.