You can never catch a Gherkin because on the slightest movement in the
bushes they throw a rope up into the air and climb up it, then they pull
the rope up after them.

Tommy says that Gherkins wear turbots on their heads. He says that they
wear very few clothes, but they don't catch rheumatism because it is not
known there.

When Tommy's mother told him that people were sending presents to the
Indian troops we had a meeting about it. We dug a deep trench in Tommy's
garden and held the meeting there; Tommy didn't want the Germans to
know.

When we had dug the trench Tommy stood at one end, and I had to come up
to him and give him the sign we had arranged. You had to move your ears
and say "Gherkin," then you were admitted to the trench. It was because
of the German spies.

We decided to get money for the Indian troops by selling Tommy's white
rats, and I was to lend Tommy my Jew's harp for a week as my share.

Tommy sold the white rats in the playground after school. He stood on a
box near the fence. The man who lives next door thought Tommy was going
to climb over into his garden after a ball, and he said to Tommy, "My
steemy friend, you stay where you are."

Tommy took no notice because his mother said the man had been to India
and brought back his liver and Tommy wasn't to listen.

I bid fourpence for the two white rats; we had arranged that in the
trench.

Tommy Brown said with lots of scorn, "Fourpence!!"--just like that. Then
he said the money was to go to buy things for the Indian troops, and
what would they think of fourpence? Old Jones minimus said sixpence when
he got his pocket-money on Saturday; then the Head came out to see what
the row was about. When Tommy Brown told him all about it, the Head bid
half-a-crown in a loud voice. We cheered, and just then the man who
lives next door and who brought his liver home from India shouted out
five shillings. Then the Headmaster said ten shillings. Tommy Brown had
to clutch hold of the rails. The man who lives next door went red in the
neck and bid a sovereign. Jones minimus began to blub when the Head bid
two pounds.

The man who had been to India said: "My steemy Sir, it is no use; I bid
four pounds." I could see old Tommy Brown moving his ears like anything.
The Headmaster said: "The Gurkhas are some of the finest troops in the
world"--he meant Gherkins, but he was excited; then he said: "Five
Pounds, Tommy White, for the brown rats." The man who li