July 5, 2007
Ms. Eleanor Gray
108 Court Road – Flat 2B
London N5 2SU
Dear Ms. Gray
I have bought this flat in 1995 to spend my retirement years in a fine Victorian house that, among other advantages, offered a shared garden in the small courtyard. Sitting on the teak bench and watching the thriving foliage has been a gratifying recreation.
When you moved in a few years ago, I was glad to find that you added potted flowers to our pleasurable grounds.
During the past two months, however, the display of your withering flora has been a continuous aggravation.
Every time I stepped outdoors to smoke a pipe, the sight of this desolation brought a lump to my throat. I concurrently coughed quite a bit.
Furthermore, my cat indulges in nibbling the petals of the tuberous begonia. She finds them nutritious. Recently, she has been afflicted with involuntary spasms of her stomach directly upon coming up from the yard, the results of which I shall not mention. I enclose a plastic bag with a sample of the thing. On examination, you will find some fragments of begonia petals with those whitish gray spots that clear indicate the presence of mildew.
On dry, warm weather, madam, begonias must be watered!
I am a quiet, peace loving man. "But — as the Bard once wrote — when the blast of war blows in our ears, then imitate the action of the tiger: stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood."
Time has come to imitate the tiger.
I shall wait ten days before consulting with my solicitors on the matter. In this period of time, I expect a £1500 postal order from you in compensation for serious personal inconvenience and veterinary care.
Yours sincerely,
P. Anderson
Major Philip Augustus Anderson (ret.)
108 Court Road – Flat 2A
London N5 2SU