

Me: It’s obviously cuddly Friday today, at least for some.
Nell: Rainy days are for cuddling.
Me: May I join you?
Nell: There’s no room.
Me: It’s my bed.
Nell: You know perfectly well that we have a non exclusivity clause in this house about beds.
Me: Do we?
Nell: Yes. Beds are too be shared.
Me: Apart from Poppy’s palace.
Nell: Obviously. Nobody can get into Poppy’s Palace.
Me: Nobody would dare.
Nell: Quite.
Me: But I don’t want to lie in a dog bed.
Nell: That’s your choice. Now, I have a question for you.
Me: How exciting. Do I need some paper and a pencil?
Nell: Why on earth would you need that?
Me: It might be a quiz. I love quizzes.
Nell: It is not a quiz and you don’t need to phone a friend, although you could if you wanted to.
Me: Right. Fire away then. I’m all ears.
Nell: Don’t be silly. You’re not a spaniel.
Me: So what’s the question?
Nell: Would you favour straight, or curly in a coat?
Me: My coats tend to be rather plain.
Nell: Not your coat. A dog’s coat.
Me: Oh. Gosh.
Nell: Curly coats are quite the thing at the moment.
Me: Yes. They certainly seem to be.
Nell: I was only saying to my friend Dorothy just the other day that one can’t go anywhere nowadays without bumping into a curly coated dog.
Me: You might need your glasses checking.
Nell: Don’t be so cheeky. You know I only need glasses for reading.
Me: I’ve always admired a wavy coat. A bit like yours actually.
Nell: You are too kind but none of this is going to help Gladys.
Me: Gladys?
Nell: Yes. Should she go for curls, or not?
Me: I don’t know. Sorry.