Annual Fair Preparation

Every year our community gets together at the annual church fair. This year they have changed the format with some new events and dropping some of the old events that appeared a little dangerous. How dangerous to the community could rabbit trap throwing be. ****** Mum arrived home from the meeting for our church's annual fair. She said there's been big changes made for the competitions there. Dad looked up "You haven't dropped sheaf tossing" - Mum answered slow and clear. "No my Dear, you'll have the chance to defend your title won last year". "Tug-o-war is stronger than last year; we have four extra teams. So Darl', you better have some practice if you want to win it seems, because a new team from the timber mill have competed well before. I hear they've won some major trophies and they want to add one more". "There's the sprint again that Johnny won; the sack and Siamese race. The ladies dropped the rolling pin to throw a gumboot in its place. Last year was too traumatic when Mrs. Herbert's rolling pin let fly, and with her poor direction broke Mr. Arnott’s jaw and bruised his eye". "For the children there’s no greasy pig; we’ve dropped that event this year, since the last two pigs got away and taken weeks to reappear. We're giving them the bobbing apples, plus a pie-eating contest. For the men there is eel skinning; how quick a wild duck can be dressed". "Geoffrey Little, your ex-mate Tom, has promised us a trophy too toward a brand new different concept. This is what he wants to do. Geoff wants something in the record book that Guinness puts out annually. Tossing rabbit traps has nothing mentioned - the committee did agree". "What's he on about?" the 'old man' said. "That slimy glory seeking thug. You'll see his name written up in gold; not the one who wins his mug". Dad does really hate Geoff Little for he was 'rooked' by Geoff I hear. So he won't be tossing rabbit traps wherever Geoff’s name does appear". Dad let Ron and me fill up a drum for the apples to float in. We held our hands behind our backs training hard so we could win, but when our mouths would touch the apples they would bob and dive around. We would chase them through the water until we darn near drowned. We dressed ‘Brucey’ up in shorts and singlet, and gave him number nine, Ron yelled out 'Go' then Bruce would run toward me at the finish line. We reckoned that we had him set for aggressively Bruce strives; Dad grinned "I think I'll have a bet on ‘Brucey’ in the under five's". Mum had practiced with the gumboot but she found the going tough. Dad showed Mum the way to throw - she couldn't throw it far enough. "Here Mum I'll show you" Ronny said, so she let him have a go. Ron's throw hit the lounge room window; he didn't break it though. John had been scrounging in the shed; soon finding what he planned. He beckoned Ron and me to help him. "Can you pair lend a hand? I'll win that throwing trophy. I don't care what the "old man' says". John carried out two rabbit traps and we carried all his spares. John gently swung the rabbit trap and lobbed one up ahead. "Yes, I've got the right idea, I'll get fair-dinkum now" he said. John raised the trap above his head then swung it 'round and 'round. The trap flew high up through the air but never came to ground … … Mum said to Dad “The powers off, I've rang up the S.E.C.”. John looked across at Ronny first and then looked across at me. We said not a word, so no one could call us liars. … I hope nobody asks about - what's tangled in the power wires.