Saturday, June the 26th, 2004

back to: title, date or indexes

Annals of Rascality

Historians of crime have long been fascinated by the Birdbag family, whose exploits were regularly recorded in the penny dreadfuls of their day. Seldom has such purple prose been so apt, for their deeds were truly the last word in scampishness and mischief. To rekindle the memories of older readers, and to introduce a new generation to this dastardly clan, here is a brief guide.

Annals of Rascality: Group1

Corky Birdbag, the fiend who pushed a knock-kneed unfortunate into a lake, and stole his bus ticket.

Annals of Rascality: Group2

Polly Birdbag, whose forgery of Selected Poems by Walter Pater fooled a docent at the University of Ack.

Annals of Rascality: Group3

Old Ma Birdbag, whose tunnels were so expertly dug that the police thought moles were responsible.

Annals of Rascality: Group4

Venkad Birdbag, the so-called “Cardboard Hooter Man”, who hooted through a cardboard funnel.

Annals of Rascality: Group5

Loopy Birdbag, the woman who sent consignments of boiled sweets to Stalin and Barbara Stanwyck at whim.

Annals of Rascality: Group6

Fontella Bass-Birdbag, the queasy maven of sabotage who did dark deeds with a whisk and a pin-cushion.

Annals of Rascality: Group7

Park Fang Birdbag, desperate banjo player who often stood next to nondescript ponds for no purpose but evil.

Annals of Rascality: Group8

Smedley Birdbag, wanted by the police of four continents for doing something weird with a toy pig sty.