Jennie had come by a sack of very large potatoes (a long and elaborate tale in itself).
Having finally gained the potatoes, she felt their dimensions recommended them for a more interesting destiny than the pot. She would play a prank on her elderly friend Viv.
She took her mother and Viv out to lunch. Then during the meal, slipped away back to Viv's house.
Jennie went round the back to the conservatory and from her capacious handbag took several of the massive potatoes. But they were now transformed. Using a kids' craft kit, Jennie had given them little faces and arms.
She ranged them on the ledge around the outside of Viv's conservatory, as if peering in the window.
However, it was a blustery day and they blew right over.
She rearranged them. They blew over again.
Finally she had all the potato people in place.
She stepped back to admire her handiwork.
And fell five feet off Viv's patio. The drop was long enough for her to imagine dying.
However, her guardian angel was on the alert that day and she fell neatly into the arms of a garden recliner chair. Bruises there were aplenty, but breakages none.
At this point many would have given up, but Jen, limped back up the steps to the house. The potatoes had fallen over again.
Instead, Jennie placed them looking in through Viv's porch window.
I would love to say that hilarity ensued. But in fact Viv failed to notice the potatoes looking in at her.
The following day, Jennie had to ring up and drop increasingly unsubtle hints to get Viv to spot her veggie-visitors.
Finally, Viv saw them: 'Ha, ha, ha, ha!'
And for Jennie, that was enough.
Mission accomplished.
