Liesel admitted hearing heavy breathing from somewhere above her head during Friday night, accompanied by the odd scuffle. Since she seemed unusually lucid we gave some credence to her story and mounted a concerted investigation. This consisted of the vice-chairman balancing precariously on a windowsill propped up by the Laniarius editor's husband. This revealed a wooly barn owl chick peering out from under the eaves, hissing exactly like an angry puffadder.

I can heartily recommend the facility at Wolfhuiskraal. The house, an old dwelling with one main room and another three rooms plus a bathroom adjoining, is very well equipped with gas and paraffin appliances, cutlery and crockery, and all of the necessary furniture, all kept immaculately clean and in good repair. There is plenty of firewood to stoke the two donkies for hot baths. The rates are extremely reasonable (R30 pppn).