Tuesday Teasers: Wild Strawberries

"'You said I could drive, David.'

'All right. Do you mind if we practise the change over, Miss Preston?'

The changeover was an elaborate system of changing drivers without slowing down to which David and his nephew had devoted much thought. It was designed as a time-saving device in the event of being pursued by Red Indians, Touaregs and other motor bandits. Martin climbed over the back of the front seat and slipped down with a leg on each side of David. He then gripped the wheel with his right hand, while David slithered over his nephew's left leg and squashed himself into the space between Martin and Mary, keeping his foot on the accelerator. A substitution of Martin's foot for David's was effected without mishap, and David removed himself into the back seat.

'What do you think of it, Miss Preston?' he inquired.

'Splendid,' said Mary. 'Did you have much trouble in getting it right?'

'Rather,' said Martin. 'We nearly smashed the Ford up twice before we got the technique right.

Next holidays we are going to try it on David's sports car."

(Wild Strawberries by Angela Thirkell, Chapter 3, page 33)