Roll out the barrel

'Lefty!' called out Flossie. '......................Lefty!'

'Yes?'

'Where are you?'

'Over here!'

'Right!.....................................Where's that?'

'Errrrrrrrrrrrr...now you ask?'

'Can you see me?'

'Where are you?'

'I'm here!'

'........................................................................................No!'

'OK!' bleated Flossie. 'On paper it was a good idea, I approved it, my responsibility, but, got to be honest, it's not panned out.'

'I should have done a full feasibility study,' replied Lefty, 'and a proper risk assessment.'

'Never enough time,' said Flossie. 'Now being practical...hang on! Did you hear that?'

'What?'

'That splash!'

'Was it a splash?'

'I thought it was a splash?'

'Mum!..............................Mum?'

'Stay calm,' insisted Flossie. 'Stay calm. Now, just asking, nothing to do with the splash. I want you to put the splash to the back of your mind and view this question as completely unrelated......Can she swim?'

'Err?' said Lefty. '............She was never that bothered about being dipped.'

'She'll be fine then...if that was her, which I'm sure it wasn't.'

'Right,' said Lefty. 'So what now?'

'Well,' replied Flossie, 'thinking on my hooves here. Let's say we head towards to nearest ship and see what happens.'

Which is exactly what they did!

It wasn't Lefty's mum by the way. She's safe. I just wouldn't want you worrying.