Posted by Samantha Downs on February 01, 1999 at 07:47:12:
I received a new game for Christmas, called "Oxford", the object of which is to correctly spell or assign meanings to different words. Whilst playing recently we came across this little gem amongst the cards containing the spelling words:
Roger dreamed that he and Susan were sailing in a sampan on Lake Windermere.
It had a mainsail salvaged from a dhow.
They carried cargoes of doubloons and bullion, and tins of pemmican in case they felt peckish.
Suddenly a quinquereme from Syracuse loomed on the occidental or starboard side.
'Avast behind!' admonished Susan.
'Don't be personal,' replied Roger, feeling irascible at her irreverent tone.
The colossal ship rammed their exiguous boat, which rapidly became waterlogged.
Jettisoning their windcheaters, they dived into the effervescent spume.
Then Susan saw a craft ahead.
'A barque!' she cried. 'Woof,' said Roger.
Whilst there was no indication where the complier of this particular card got his ideas from, I feel certain they had to have been a Swallows and Amazons fan.
Has anyone else come across anything like this recently?