Letter from Billy Akrill to his father

Letter from Billy Akrill to his father

Billy mixes real events with fantasy stories, illustrated with small people and animals.

1935-07-02

Four-page illustrated handwritten letter

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[inserted] Maker of Pills (trying to sell his wares) “Gentlemen these are just the things for folk like you. If you are unemployed just have one tonight and you’ll be fully employed tomorrow.” [/inserted]
Potter Hill
Collingham
Newark.
Tuesday 2nd July
Dear Daddy,
So glad to hear that Vesuvious has been in eruption [drawing]. We are very busy now we’ve heard the news. [drawing] We got out pick axes [drawing] spades etc, rolled up our sleeves & set to work to fell a few weeds [drawing] Harry got out the reaper & cut the lawn [drawing]. Mary & I unearthed a few weeds [drawing] & mother got a pick axe & unloaded the soil [drawing]. Unfortunately Mary got lost in a bed of giant goose-grass & hasn’t been seen since; Harry ran over an ant-hill & was knocked off the reaper falling with his head on a boulder & has been taken to Newark Hospital
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After vain efforts to get her pick-axe into the soil mother suddenly struck a large rabbit hole & her axe went right through & mother was so taken unawares that I regret to say fell in & got lost in that gloomy subterranean passage. Anyway I told my old friend Moses the mole to tell her, if he saw her, to come up & see me some time. So now there’s only me left & I only just escaped to tell the tale for I came across a huge spider [drawing] set on me & but for my Indian Game, would have dined on me, but they, seeing a friend in need & rushed up & killed him.
Out of those five there will be two cocks [drawing] two hens [drawing] & one angel [drawing]
The other two are beauties. [drawing] One about 90% pure I.G. & the other 75%
Gosh! “Have you ever seen a dream walking?”
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Well there cometh one on ye lawn. Yea verily: [drawing] Behold! it cometh with Moses ye mole. Surely I know ye large proboscis which sticketh out of ye muck [drawing] Why tis Mother! So Moses & I took her & put her in the bath & turned on the tap [drawing] & now she’s O.K. again sticking like billy-ho er I mean William Hoe.
Most folks are cutting their seeds now - ! Whatever! Is yon walking weed that standeth on the lawn? [drawing] I will investigate [drawing] Poor Mary you know what a terrible habit goose-grass has? [drawing] Well then you’ll imagine what she was like. Bessie rescued her & poor dog she’s covered with its seeds.
x x x x x x x x x x
In your next letter will you please give instructions for Harry to let some one see to the chicken pen (No 2 old hens’ pen).? The
x x x x x x x x x x is true!!!
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The beast go over the barbed wire, knock down & trample on the other wire [drawing] & make a mess of everything. Mary does her utmost to keep them out but they just walk in again while Mary nearly weeps & begs Harry to get some more barbed-wire put up &c but he “don’t care” so will you please tell him? Whoo! Here comes a mummy [drawing]. I’ll unravel it to see whats in side. Lawks a lummy its Harry all wrapped up. I knew they wouldn’t keep him long at the hospital.
Well it’s eight o’clock, so, know that my romance is brought to a happy ending I’ll close
Yours (UN) truly
Billy
[underlined] PLEASE [/underlined] DON’T LET ANY-BODY READ THIS