The Otterbury Incident Misc. Assignments

Homework

Part I: Imagine that you are Rose, write a letter to Rickie telling him about your encounter with Johnny Sharp. Give an accurate description of Johnny Sharp.

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96 Abbey Lane
Otterbury, Essex
England

February 23rd, 1948

Dear Richard,

How are you? I trust that you have had a safe journey to Liverpool and you are doing fine. However, I am not doing so well. Well, my health is fine but I have recently had a strange encounter with a man they call “Johnny Sharp”. Let me tell you about it.

Earlier today, I was working in the bookshop as usual. When I was in the middle of ordering a new shipment of books a strange man walked through the door. First I thought it was one of my regular customers – Mr.Banks. But when I took a second look I realized it wasn’t him, or for that matter, anyone who I had ever seen before. His appearance struck me first; he had a queer look.

I will start describing from the top and work my way down. On the top of his head a grey homburg hat sat comfortably, turned down in the front. His hat stopped right over his eyes, two narrow, beady eyes that were fixed on me. His eyes followed suit from his face – a foxy face with a long thin nose and mouth. His mouth was fixed in what he must have thought was a charming smile. It gave a clear view of his ghastly teeth. He wore a loud check suit with petruding shoulder pads and a tie that had no relation to the rest of the suit. On his right hand, he wore two large rings and had a tendency to flop it this way and that way when he was talking. His shoes were pointed at the toes and had obviously just been shined by the boys near the store. Overall, his appearance seemed a bit odd, but deciding not to be judgmental I greeted him politely.

As soon as he opened his mouth, it was instantly clear that he was very cocksure. After I told him good morning, he said “Hey Baby cakes” and swooped in to me for a kiss. Now, this behaviour was way out of line, and whether I wanted to or not, his breath would have knocked me out cold before I had a chance to decide, so I slapped him right across his face with no regret. Instead of humbling himself he arrogantly asked why I had sent for him and what I wanted. Rickie, I had done no such thing to send for that man and I told him that the only thing I wanted was for him to leave my shop.
Once again “Mr. Sharp” did not debase himself but told me “not to get all Roedean with him” and said he could help me. Shocked, I was slightly interested in finding out in which way this spiv could help me. Leaning in closer he told me he knew all about how Ted was in some sort of trouble. He asked me what would happen if my parents found out, and how the whole thing would lead to disgrace on my family’s name. Then came the worst part of it all, the part that makes this no ordinary news. He seemed to know about our relationship and asked me, “And what is Mister Richards doing about it?” This was the last straw. “Get out, you overdressed, crawling louse!” I said trying not to shout. This was the only thing that I said that he seemed to actually understand, and he seemed kind of hurt by it but I couldn’t have cared less. Quickly, he recomposed and started bragging about his suit, as I expected. Something about it being twenty smackers…I wasn’t listening. The part that got my attention was when he started trying to bribe me. He said he could help me with Ted’s situation if I was nice to him, that is gave him a kiss. My goodness he would not come off it. I swear if it weren’t for George bursting through the door at that moment I would have personally booted him out of my shop.

So there you have it, the strange event of my day. If you know anything about him, please tell me, I don’t like the idea of Ted and his friends having anything to do with him. Anyways, respond as soon as possible and have a wonderful trip. I hope too see you soon honey.

Love always,
Rose Marshall


Part 2: Describe the river pursuit between the Prune and the boys.

In one of the climaxes of the book, the Otterbury Incident the boys (Ted and Toppy’s parties) end up pursuing the Prune for information, here is how it went:

After the boys find “the clue of the bitten half-crown” they presume that Johnny Sharp was involved in the making of the box in someway and soon discover that he made it and gave it to the Prune to give as a contribution to them. However, there was one thing they needed – proof. It is Toppy’s idea to “put the Prune to question”. Without a moment’s hesitance, the gang all makes a beeline for the Prune’s house. On arrival, the Prune’s parents tell them that he is not in but has gone out to the river to fish. This was all the better for the boys as now they could interrogate him without arousing suspicion. The boys make haste and quickly get down to the Biddle River.

When the gang gets to the river, they regroup. After a quick scan of the fairly sized river, they spotted him. A yellow R.A.F. dinghy sat in the middle of the lake with a motionless figure holding a rod in it – it was the Prune. Nick shouted out “There he is!” and sprinted off towards the bridge leading to the river. Toppy went off after him and caught up with him. Toppy soon explained his reason for doing this – if every one charged him he might suspect something and run away from them and so it was decided that only Toppy and Peter would go. The rest of the party had to take a detour through town. Five minutes later the gang was positioning themselves behind a shack about thirty yards away for the river and Toppy had started to call out to the Prune. They saw the Prune slowly take in his line, put down the rod and put on his paddle gloves and start the dinghy towards the shore. Ted was rigid and Nick was giddy with impatience. Finally, after what seemed to be an hour, the Prune reached the bank and alighted from the dinghy.

Toppy was casually sitting on the bank, kicking his heels (all a part of his plan) and nonchalantly told the Prune he had a message for him from “a friend of his [the Prune]”. When the Prune asked which friend and Toppy answered “Johnny Sharp” the Prune became tense. He gave a half-look behind him as if he was considering hopping back in the dinghy but Peter Butts had beat him to it and had pushed the dinghy away from the bank already. Realizing he had no other options but to try and weasel his way out of it the Prune got to work. He claimed not to know any Johnny Sharp, the boys all knew that this was a downright lie. Knowing he was playing dumb, Toppy moved right along with his questioning. Toppy told Prune that Johnny Sharp wanted him [the Prune] to tell them about the moneybox that he gave him to give to Ted to keep the money in. The rest of the gang came out of hiding as Toppy had given the signal (he said “Ted” in his sentence). Prune looked around frantically but the boys had enclosed him in on all sides.

Soon, the Prune admitted to having accepted a box from Johnny Sharp. Toppy, finally having found a weak spot in the Prune used it to his advantage and told Prune that if he told them what happened they’d leave him alone. Still the Prune did not comply and Toppy threatened to put his head in the river and hold him down until he talked. Trying to buy himself some more time the Prune continues to talk but Toppy cuts him off and gives him five seconds to start talking. When Toppy had reached “one” the Prune still had not given them any information and so the boys pounced on him like alley cats on a fish bone. IN a matter of seconds Toppy was sitting atop the Prune’s chest and was giving the boys orders to gag and tie him. To make the whole thing even more convincing, Toppy looked at his watch and continued, he said the first time, they’d hold him down for twenty seconds, then thirty and so on. This cracked the Prunes nerve and he quickly told them the whole story.