Limits Of Behaviour

How long have we got? says Ouvert.

That depends on where they are at this moment, says Baby Pierre.

They look at their string.

First job, take the flags off, says Ouvert. Start untying!

But it isn't that easy. Whoever tied the flags on knew how to attach flags to string.

How about we slide them? says Ouvert.

He tries sliding the end flag to the end of the string. A short distance.

That works, says Baby Pierre. Let's slide them all.

Start in the middle, says Ouvert. I'll slide my flags to my end, you slide your flags to yours.

We should untie the sticks first, says Baby Pierre.

No, the flags will blow everywhere, says Ouvert. 

They are sitting on the grass at the side of the road near a chestnut tree.

After we've done this, says Ouvert, we'll find two trees, opposite one another with the road in the middle. 

How about right here? says Baby Pierre. There are chestnut trees on both sides of the road. 

It's a bit near where we nicked the string from, says Ouvert.

So what? says Baby Pierre. Just hurry.

They slide their flags down the string rapidly.

But now.... things start to go wrong one by one.

The garden owner comes into her garden to harvest a carrot, and notes the absence of one line of string.

She heads to the picturesque wooden palings and looks down the road.

A bicycle is coming.

Riding the bicycle, a young woman with an infant in her bicycle basket.

Above them floats a black and white bird. 

She waves at the young woman, who stops cycling.

Are there any traps here? asks Terence.

Don't mind him, says Belle. 

Traps? asks the gardening woman.

I don't suppose you've seen a couple of pebbles, says Belle. Or lost any string?.

Behind the chestnut tree, Baby Pierre and Ouvert are like statues, but it is windy and the flags won't keep still.

Roo-kai spots the flags waving, but says nothing.

Responsible behaviour has limits.

Yes, I have lost some string, says the gardening woman. I assumed a wild rabbit.

What would it want string for? asks Terence.  

It wouldn't, says the gardening woman. Let's say it wanted a carrot and got tangled up.

Were there flags tied to your string? asks Belle. Because if there were, it's there behind that chestnut tree.

Alors! cries the gardening woman. That is my string!

She walks round the tree. Picks up the string, with the flags at each end, held on by sticks.

A mystery, says the gardening woman. But all's well that ends well.

Yes, that's for sure, says Belle.

Au revoir, says the gardening woman.

Au revoir, says Belle.

The gardening woman goes back into her garden to harvest the carrot.

Belle wheels her bicycle to the tree.