Afterlunch,agentlewindpushedusuptheriverpastWargraveandShiplake.WegotoutoftheboatatSonningandwalkedaroundthevillage.Sonningisalovelyvillage.Everythingiscleanandbeautiful.Eachhouseiscoveredwithroses.WedecidedtoreturntooneoftheShiplakeislandstospendthenight. Georgesaid,‘Let’shaveaspecialsuppertonight.Let’smakeanIrishstew.Wecanputeverythingintoonebigpan.’ ‘Whatawonderfulidea!’HarrisandIsaid. ‘I’llgetthewoodandmakeafire,’Georgesaid.‘Youtwocanpeelthepotatoes.’ Thiswasaverybigjob.Wewerehappyandexcited.Butwhenwepeeledourfirstpotato,weunderstoodthatthiswasnotexciting–itwashardwork.Thefirstpotatowepeeledlookedlikeapea. Georgelookedatitandsaid,‘No,no,no!There’snopotatoleft.Doitlikethis.’ Weworkedhardforhalfanhour,butwepeeledonlyfourpotatoes.Werefusedtocontinue. ‘Well,justputthepotatoesinwithoutpeelingthem.Let’saddsomecarrotsandothervegetables.Lookinthehampersandtakeoutallthepiecesofoldfood.We’llputtheminthestew.Youcanputanythinginastew.’ Wefoundhalfaporkpie,atinoffishandafewbrokeneggs.Weaddedthesetothestew.Montmorencywatcheduscarefullyandthenleft.Afterawhile,hereturnedwithadeadratinhismouth.Hewantedtoaddsomethingtothestew,too.Wediscusseditfirst. Harrissaid,‘It’sallrighttoaddthedeadrat.Itwillbemixedwiththeotherthings.Astewneedsmanyingredients.’ Georgesaid,‘Well,Idon’twanttotryanythingnew.Maybenexttime.I’msorry,Montmorency.’ Harrissaid,‘Ifyounevertryanythingnew,you’llneverdiscoverthings.It’smenlikeyou,George,whoslowdowntheprogressofourworld.’ Georgedidn’tlistentoHarris. Thestewwasagreatsuccess.Itwasdelicious–excellentineveryway.Weallreallyenjoyedit. AftertheIrishstew,GeorgeandIdecidedtogotoHenleyforaneveningwalk.Harriswantedtostayontheboatanddrinkawhisky. Whenwereturnedtotheboat,Harriswassadandconfused. ‘Whathappenedtoyou,Harris?’ Wehadlefttheboatnearaswan’snest.WhenGeorgeandIwereinHenley,Mrs.Swancamebacktothenest.ShestartedtoshoutatHarris.Harrisfrightenedheraway.Shewenttogetherhusband,Mr.Swan.Harrishadaterriblefightwiththesetwoswans.Harrisfinallywonthefight. However,halfanhourlater,Mr.andMrs.Swanreturnedwitheighteenotherswans.Therewasahorriblefight.TheswansattackedHarrisandtriedtopullhimofftheboat.TheywantedtodrownHarrisandMontmorency! Harrisfoughtwithcourageforfourhours.Intheend,theswansslowlyswamawaytodie. ‘Howmanyswanswerethere?’Georgeasked. ‘Thirty-two,’saidHarris,whowassleepy. ‘Butyousaideighteenbefore,’Georgesaid. ‘No,Ididn’t.Isaidtwelve.DoyouthinkIcan’tcount?’ Weneverdiscoveredthetruthabouttheswans.WeaskedHarrisaboutitthenextmorning.Hesaid,‘Whatswans?’HethoughtthatGeorgeandIweredreaming. ThatnightHarrishadtroublesleeping.Hewokemeupabouttwelvetimesduringthenight.Hewaslookingforhisclothes.Georgewokeup,too. ‘Whydoyouneedyourtrousers?It’sthemiddleofthenight!’Georgesaid. Later,Harriswaslookingforhisshoes.Thenheaskedforhissocksandhisumbrella. Wewokeuplatethenextmorning.Wehadasmallbreakfastandwewerereadytogo.Weagreedthatwewouldrowtheboat,andnottowit.Harrissaid,‘George,youandJcanrow.I’llsteer.’ Ididn’tlikethisidea,andIsaid,‘No,Harris.YouandGeorgerow,sothatIcanrest.’ Iwasdoingtoomuchworkonthistrip.IalwaysthinkthatIworktoomuch.It’snotbecauseIdon’tlikework.Iloveit!Ifinditveryinteresting.Icansitandlookatitforhours.Youcan’tgivemetoomuchwork.Ilikecollectingit.Myofficeisfullofit. I’mverycarefulwithmywork,too.Someoftheworkinmyofficehasbeenthereforyears.Itisinperfectcondition.Itisn’tdirtyoranything.That’sbecauseItakegoodcareofit. Harrissaid,‘Onthisboat,I’mtheonlyonewhoworks.’ Georgesaid,‘Youdonothingbuteatandsleep,Harris.I’mtheonlyonewhoworks.YouandJareverylazypeople.’ Harrislaughedandsaid,‘George!Work!HaveyoueverseenGeorgework?’ IagreedwithHarris,Georgeneverworked. ‘HowdoyouknowifIwork,Harris?You’realwayssleeping,exceptatmealtimes.HaveyoueverseenHarrisawake,exceptatmealtimes?’Georgeaskedme. IagreedwithGeorge.Harrisworkedverylittleontheboat. ‘Oh,please!IdomoreworkthanoldJ,’Harrissaid. ‘Well,it’sdifficulttodolessworkthanoldJ,’Georgeadded. ‘OldJthinkshe’sapassengeranddoesn’tneedtowork,’Harrissaid. Afterthisdiscussion,IsaidtoHarris,‘YouandGeorgerowtheboatuptoReading.AtReadingI’lltowit.’ 
