‘Did you order this? I presume you found it on that retailer of books and very long rivers, in Brazil.’
‘No, I don’t want to sound complaining and ungrateful, it’s just that we would have liked to been able to plan ahead for it, that’s all.’
‘Well, yes that’s true. We don’t have a very large range of alternative options, but you’d be amazed at the difference it can make – depending on which end of the field you are, of course.’
‘As it happens, this time, we were caught off guard.’
‘Yes, quite. No one likes to be taken by surprise, especially if the surprise tends towards the unpleasant end of the spectrum.’
‘But it wasn’t just that, it hurt our pride. We do have feelings. Part of our self esteem comes from knowing that we are performing competently, and are appreciated for that.’
‘I’m sure you’re perfectly well aware that, before the onset of any reasonable degree of inclement weather, cows are supposed to lie down.’
‘Just a little prior notice, that’s not too much to ask for now, is it?’
‘Thank you, we will all appreciate that.’
