Chapter 6: Goat's tobacco

Chapter 6: Goat’s tobacco

In 1926, my very old half-sister chose to marry an English doctor. He came on holiday with us to Norway My family always did everything together, but now my half-sister only wanted to be with this man. She was always with him, and they did not want to be with us. My other sisters and I were young - I was only nine years old - and we did not understand this.

We did not like the young doctor, because he took our sister from us. But we also did not like him because he smoked a pipe. He always had the pipe in his mouth, and it smelled very bad.

One day on the beach, the young doctor went swimming. He left his pipe with us and did not take it into the sea with him.

Then I saw some goat droppings on the ground, and I thought of a plan.

I quickly put some of the goat droppings in the pipe, under the tobacco. The young doctor came back and started smoking his pipe. My half-brother and sisters and I watched him.

“Ah-h-h-h,” he said. “I love to smoke after a swim, and this English tobacco is the best. It’s much better than Norwegian tobacco.”

The sea was blue and the sun was bright. It was a beautiful day.

Then we heard a loud shout and watched the young doctor fly into the air. His pipe flew out of his mouth, and his face was the colour of snow.

“Help! Help! My body is on fire!” the doctor shouted.

My very old half-sister was very frightened. “What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?” she cried. “Get the boat! Quickly! We must go to hospital!”

But the young doctor lay on the ground and breathed in the clean air. After five minutes, he started to feel better.

“What happened?” asked my very old half-sister.

“I don’t know,” said the doctor.

“I know! I know!” said my little sister, excitedly.

“Tell us!” said my very old half-sister.

“It’s his pipe!” shouted my little sister.

“What’s wrong with my pipe?” asked the doctor.

“It had goat droppings in it!” said my little sister, and she laughed.

My very old half-sister and the doctor quickly understood, and they were very angry. The doctor stood up. My half-brother, sisters and I quickly ran away from him into the sea.