It hit the guttering, bounced up, sailed through the air and landed smack in the middle of Mr. Jones’s leeks. The Old Codger clapped his hands and smiled smugly. He then went back into the shed, found a large tin of paint, some wooden pegs and some garden twine. He loosened the lid of the paint tin so it could be easily knocked off and took it up onto the roof. He lined it up with Mr. Jones’s leeks and stopped it from rolling down with a peg. He tied the twine round the peg and climbed back down. He then went round his garden patch laying out the twine and keeping it tight with the pegs. Having completed the trap he was happy. If Mr. Jones walked through his patch he would trip on the twine, which would pull out the peg and the paint tin would roll down the roof and land in his leeks, covering them all with Pastel Pink paint.

Happy that his leeks were safe the Old Codger picked up his suitcase and set off again for the coach station.

Even though he did not have a ticket the Old Codger expected that the coach would wait for him so he did not rush. However when he reached the station the last person was getting on and the driver was revving up the engine to go. The Old Codger was halfway  through the door as it closed and the folding doors trapped him by the shoulders. “Aaahhrgh”, he said. “Sorry”, said the driver releasing him. The Old Codger straightened himself and said, “are you going to Blackpool?”. “That’s right”.

The Old Codger climbed up the stairs of the coach pulling his suitcase sideways through the doorway. “You will have to put that suitcase in the boot”, said the driver. The Old Codger looked at his battered and now bent suitcase like it was the family jewels. “But someone else might take it”. “That heap of tat, I don’t think so”, said the driver getting off the coach and relieving the Old Codger of his case.

The Old Codger went and sat down not at all pleased that the driver thought so little of his suitcase. When the driver returned he approached the Old Codger and said, “Have you got a ticket?” “No”, said the Old Codger. “Well then, that will be ten pounds please”.