Short Fiction · Chapter
A Turkey Hunt explained
Three of Madame's finest bronze turkeys go missing near Christmas, prompting a household search.
What happens
Three of Madame's finest bronze turkeys go missing near Christmas, prompting a household search. The housemaid Alice, yard-boy Polisson, and others search in the cold drizzle, but Artemise, a peculiar child, eventually reveals the turkeys were accidentally locked in the henhouse all along.
Characters to notice
- Artemise
Artemise, a mysterious child with a sphinx-like demeanor, finds the missing turkeys after hiding behind the henhouse during the search.
Key passages
“Three of Madame’s finest bronze turkeys were missing from the brood. It was nearing Christmas, and that was the reason, perhaps, that even Monsieur grew agitated when the discovery was made.”
Three of Madame's best bronze turkeys were missing just before Christmas, causing even Monsieur to become upset.
Sets the stakes for the turkey hunt.
“Artemise is in some respects an extraordinary person. In age she’s anywhere between 10 and 15, with a head not unlike in shape and appearance to a dark chocolate-colored Easter-egg.”
Artemise is an unusual child, aged roughly 10 to 15, with a head shaped like a dark chocolate Easter egg.
Introduces Artemise's peculiar appearance and character.
““In uh hole,” was precisely what she said, with a pump-like motion of the arm that she habitually uses to indicate a locality. What she meant was that she slept in the hall.”
She said 'In uh hole,' gesturing with a pump-like arm motion, meaning she slept in the hall.
Illustrates Artemise's cryptic communication style.
““Yon’a,” she simply articulated, bringing the pump-handle motion of her arm into play. “Where ‘yonder’?” Madame demanded, a little impatiently. “In uh hen’ous’!””
She said 'Yon'a' with her usual arm gesture, and when pressed, clarified 'In uh hen'ous'!'
Artemise reveals the turkeys' location.