Very classic English novelsedicated to a Happier Year PART Once a term the whole school went for a walk—that is to say the three masters took part as well as all the boys It was usually a pleasant out

classes, who preferred the solid and unchanging Mr Abrahams, but he was loved by the boys for his wit and his understanding.

On this particular walk, the boys were in high spirits. They had been looking forward to it for weeks and had planned various pranks and games. Mr Ducie, however, had other ideas. He had noticed that some of the boys were falling behind in their studies and decided that this was the perfect opportunity to give them some extra tuition. The boys groaned and protested, but Mr Ducie was firm. He would take a small group of boys aside and give them a lesson in Latin.

The rest of the boys trudged on, feeling resentful and bored. They had been looking forward to a day of freedom and fun, not more schoolwork. As they walked, they passed through fields and woods, over streams and hills. They played games and sang songs, but their hearts were not in it. They kept thinking about the boys who were stuck with Mr Ducie, and how unfair it was.

After a while, they came to a clearing in the woods. There was a small cottage there, with smoke rising from the chimney. Mrs Abrahams had arranged for tea to be served there, and the boys were looking forward to it. As they approached, they saw a figure sitting on the porch. It was an old man, dressed in rags, with a long white beard and a staff. He looked up as they approached and smiled.

"Good afternoon, boys," he said. "Would you like to hear a story?"

The boys were curious. They had never seen this man before. They gathered around him, and he began to tell them a tale of knights and dragons, of damsels in distress and brave heroes. His voice was deep and resonant, and his eyes sparkled with life. The boys forgot their boredom and listened with rapt attention.

As the old man finished his story, Mrs Abrahams appeared with the tea. The boys thanked the old man and rushed forward to get their cups. But when they turned around, the old man had disappeared. They looked around, but there was no sign of him. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.

The boys were puzzled but also exhilarated. They had never experienced anything like it before. They talked excitedly among themselves as they drank their tea, and when it was time to go, they reluctantly bade farewell to the clearing and the cottage.

As they walked back to school, they felt different. The day had not turned out as they had expected, but it had been memorable. They had been given a glimpse of something beyond their everyday lives, something magical and mysterious. They felt grateful to the old man, whoever he was, and to Mrs Abrahams for arranging the tea. They felt that they had experienced a moment of joy and wonder, and that it would stay with them for a long time.

When they arrived back at school, Mr Ducie was waiting for them. He looked at them sternly and asked them how their Latin lesson had gone. The boys looked at each other, unsure of what to say. But then one of them spoke up.

"Mr Ducie, we met an old man in the woods, and he told us a story. It was amazing. You should have been there."

Mr Ducie looked surprised, but then he smiled.

"Well then," he said. "I'm glad you had a good time. But let's not forget our studies, shall we?"

And with that, he led them back into the school, and the day resumed its usual routine. But for the boys, something had changed. They had been touched by magic, and they knew that there was more to life than Latin and discipline. They looked forward to the next term's walk, wondering what surprises it would bring