It was late.
I was in bed.
The book I was reading was a biography on Richard Burton. Not the famous actor who married the famous actress. This Richard Burton was an Englishman who lived in the 19th century. He was many things: a soldier, an adventurer, a translator and a spy. But I’m reading about him because of the interesting fact that he spoke 29 languages.
29 languages!
What was his secret?
Well, I was trying to find out but I was having difficulty focusing.
I kept smelling…something.
Was it…could it be… is something… dead?
But that’s not possible, I thought. I am clearly alive. All the meat is in the refrigerator. And the nearest cemetery is several miles away.
I ignored it for as long as I could until I could ignored it no more. I had to solve the mystery of… The Smell!
Classroom Vig Is Open
Your local Berlitz may have boards nailed across its front door, but Classroom Vig is open and welcoming students!
Next week I will teach the first live online training for Society members.
What will the topic be?
Understanding?
Confidence?
Remembering new words?
That is what I shall be thinking about this weekend as I wander the hills of Virginia.
But now, let us return to…
The Mystery Of The Smell
“Alexa, what’s that smell?”
“Playing ‘That Smell’ by Lynyrd Skynyrd”
Well, that didn’t help.
I guess I’d have to solve this mystery the old-fashioned way: with my nose.
So I got down on my hands and knees and began to sniff.
Behind the bookshelf…fine.
Inside the closet…ok.
Under the bed…normal.
Inside the wall heater…bingo!
Found it!
And I was right. It was the unmistakable smell of something dead.
The house is old. It must have found a way inside, crawled into the wall, and died.
What could it be?
A dead mouse?
No, it smelled bigger than that…
A dead horse?
That’s crazy!
But I hear crazier things on the news every night, so maybe….
Hmm. Well, I’ll have plenty of time to think about it this weekend, as soon as I decide the topic for next week’s class, and as soon as I move into the guest bedroom.