Three Excellent Things And Three Bad Ones

Morning. Belle breezes in.

Hi, says Belle to the philosphers at the breakfast table. Where's Terence?

In his room. The little scallywag is grounded, says Corny. For stealing, and lying.

Stealing? says Belle, unconcerned about lying. Stealing what?

These, says Vello, pointing to the bread he is eating, from which hagelslag is falling like rain.

Oh, I had the same thing for breakfast, says Belle. Arne says everyone here does. Imagine. Chocolate sprinkles. And only on bread, not on toast.

See! says Corny, to David, who had asked to have his on toast.

Point taken, says David. I'm beginning to develop a taste for stale bread anyway.

Belle hears Terence blowing up balloons in his bedroom, and letting them go.

Phooo! Phooo! Phooo! Prrrrrrrrrrrt!

Damn. If Terence is grounded, how can she and Arne take him to the Miffy Exhibition at Centraal Museum later this morning?

So you guys are eating the actual stolen chocolate sprinkles? she says.

It seemed a pity to waste them, says Corny.

You ought to have taken them back, says Belle.

I sent Terence to return them, says Corny.

And let me guess, says Belle. He didn't.

No, says Vello. He kept them in his pocket until dinner time, then he sprinkled them on his hachee and rode kool.

Which is? asks Belle.

Beef and onion stew with red cabbage, says Corny.

Is that what it was? says David. Red cabbage.

What did you think? asks Corny.

Never mind, says Belle. You shouldn't have let him do it. You've all failed in your duty of care. It's you adults who should be grounded.

Ha ha, laughs David. We can't be grounded.

If Terence is grounded, someone needs to stay with him, says Belle. And it won't be me. I'm just having a shower and changing, then I'm off to the Miffy Museum.

Terence, who has stopped blowing in order to listen, now knows three excellent things:

He'll be FREED! And it wasn't him that stole the chocolate sprinkles, it was the grown ups. And now they are grounded.

Belle heads off to the bathroom.

Vello sprinkles some more chocolate hail on his bread.

His phone rings, his bread tilts and sprinkles fall onto his shorts.

Damn, says Vello.  Hello? Hello? Oh it's you. What's the matter? When are you arriving? What? NO!
No, impossible at short notice. You'll just have to .....escape or something. Yes, yes, let me know, goodbye........... OH CURSES!

What's up? asks David.

Surfing-With-Whales, says Vello. He's been arrested.

What? says Belle, appearing in a towel. She looks rather fetching.

Corny tries to look elsewhere.

Vello's phone rings again.

What now? snaps Vello. Who? Gaius! No! No! Well that' your own fault. We're no longer on the same team. What? Schopenhauer's bicycle? What a mix-up! Oh all right, you old fool, I'll text you the address.

Gaius? says Belle Now what's happened?

He's here in Utrecht with the wrong bicycle, says Vello. And he's flustered, so I relented, and said he could come here and see us.

Poor Gaius, says Belle.

Vello's phone rings a third time.

Vello! he growls. What? Repeat that? Disqualified? Ridiculous. On what grounds? Oh ha ha. I'm not dead, if I were, would I be speaking to you? God's bones and testicles! Who says so? Well you tell them from me to go hang.

Who thinks you're dead, papa? says Belle, wide-eyed.

The Tour de France organisers, says Vello. And apparently, that's enough to disqualify us.