Story – Cream of Thurber

Story – Cream of Thurber

Read this story which is adapted from Cream of Thurber

Mr. Munroe was not good with machines, or even with his hands. He could not do things: for example one of his major problems was to get the water to the right temperature for him to have a bath. He would fill the tub with cold water and then pour the hot water. The water was always too cold then. He tried putting in the hot water first, and then adding the cold water. The water was too hot then.

He tried mixing the two in a small bucket and then transferring the water to the big bath tub. The result was worse. He often burnt himself. He spent so long over the process that there was never enough water for him to have a proper bath.

So, when Mr. and Mrs. Munroe went on a holiday and booked in at a hotel in the country Mr. Munroe was looking forward to a proper bath. The hotel had double rooms with attached baths, but this was very expensive. After discussing with the Manager, Mrs. Munroe was glad; they had booked a room, which has two baths to every five rooms. One was already occupied.

Their room was lovely. It was the middle one. Mr. Munroe was glad; he thought the sound of everyone else bathing would keep him up. They thought they would have early dinner and have a proper rest. Mr. Munroe would take his bath first, Mrs. Munroe could follow later.

So he went in ready for a bath, laden with bathrobe, soap, shampoo etc, to the bathroom. Mrs. Munroe settled down to read in bed, and soon fell asleep.

Meanwhile Mr. Munroe was having difficulties. He had thought of trying out the taps. He tried the handle, it was just a trickle, then he turned it a wee bit more. Then the water gushed out. It was cold. Mr. Munroe was both angry and somewhat frightened. He kept muttering and turning the handle. The water would gush out, stop, and gush out. It was very cold.

He was standing in about a foot of water now and the water was draining into the next bath, and filling in that floor too. The man in the adjoining shower shouted to him to turn the handle farther to the right. Munroe shot it all the way to the right. The handle came off. Instantly a stream of boiling water poured down from the shower. The cold water gushed down. The water was coming almost up to his knees now.

The man from the adjoining shower shouted. Munroe could not understand what he said. In a little while, the hotel manager came with a workman and returned a very wet Mr. Munroe to Mrs. Munroe. “Did you enjoy the bath dear?” she inquired, hardly opening her eyes.

By now the hotel had run out of water. The boiler had to be repaired.