A long time back there was a rich man who hated mankind. He wanted his own memory to live for  even after his death. He had a bright idea. He made a will in which he kept apart a portion of his income to be spent on annual prize for the best poem submitted by a student of Sixth Form of St. Austin’s college. The poem was to be written on a subject chosen by the Headmaster. Every student of the Form was required to compete. Most of the students were not in a position to write a poem. Only one or two brilliant students could do so. So most students disliked the announcement on the subject of the poem. This imposition on the students was given up after a period of twenty seven years.



Reynolds was the cause of this change. He was in the hospital. He was recovering after his attack of German measles. He was visited by a student named Smith of the Sixth Form. He told Reynolds about the Prize Poem. Smith was not a poet. Reynolds felt interested in the idea. He wanted to see himself in the role of a poet. He wanted to see some of his lines in print. He had tried to send poems to various magazines but they were always rejected. Smith told Reynolds that the poem was to be written on the subject of the college. Reynolds liked the subject. He wished that he were in the Sixth Form of the school. Smith wished that he were in the hospital.

Reynolds agreed to do the poem. Smith could sent it for the competition. Smith assured him that this poem would not get a prize. Reynolds told Smith that if the poem won a prize they would have to tell the headmaster about who wrote it. Reynolds read out four lines for a beginning:

Imposing pile, reared up ‘midst pleasant grounds,

The scene of many a battle lost or won,

At cricket or football; Whose red walls

Full many a son has kissed ere day is done.

Smith suggested that he should include something about the M.C.C match. He could also make cricket rhyme with wicket. Smith then took leave of Reynolds as he had to take part in a house-match.

Reynolds wrote down the lines he had already composed. After a few minutes he wrote another four lines. He crossed them out and then selected a fresh piece of paper. He then selected a third piece of paper. He produced a sort of fair copy in his best handwriting with the title ‘Ode to the college’. In the meantime, an elderly lady came inside the room with Reynolds tea. She flung wide the door. To editions (copies) of the ode to the college “flew out of the room because of a strong wind blowing. Reynolds started taking tea without trying to recover his flown papers. Besides, he remembered the lines and he could easily rewrite them. He did not bother about the three sheets of paper that had flown.

Later in the afternoon, Montgomery of the Sixth Form, happened to be passing by the hospital (infirmary). A piece of paper blew at him. There were four lines on the paper. He thought that he could add two lines and enter the poem for the competition. He added two more lines to the previous four. Two nights afterwards, Morrison, also of the Sixth Form was visited by one Evans. He brought those four lines written on a paper for Morrison. Morrison was happy to have those lines. He told Morrison that he had found the lines outside the infirmary. Evans then left the infirmary after having got some apples from Morrison.

On the following Sunday, Smith came on a visit to Reynolds again. He asked him if he had finished the poem. Reynolds has not finished it yet. He wanted only one verse to be sent for the competition. Smith said that he would send only one verse as rules did not stop him from doing so.

A letter had just been received from Mr. Welles to the headmaster, Mr. James Percival. It was being read by Mrs. James Percival. He had  written from his sick-bed. He stated that the poem by Rogers was a long way better than others. The most interesting program was given by three comedians. Each one of them had begun the poem with exactly same four lines. The students had either colluded or they were trying to befool the Headmaster, Reverend Jimmy Percival. The headmaster did not agree that he was being befooled.

He had called all the three boys who had similar answers. They were Smith, Montgomery and Morrison after morning school. He asked three of them how it was that each of their composition for the poetry prize commenced with the same four lines. They admitted that none of them had written those four lines. It was Reynolds who had done that. They also admitted that they did not do so for the sake of a prize. They pursued the deception because rules required that each one of them should sent in something. So Reynolds was asked to write. The Headmaster at once realized that it was wrong to asked an unpoetic person to write a poem. The three boys were left of.

At the next Board Meeting it was decided to change the rules for the Sixth Form poetry prize. From then onward, no one was required to compete for the poetic competition unless he felt himself filled with the poetic fire.