Put that Down

Last Saturday Ron and I went to a flea market. The large room was filled with tables of unwanted treasures. We strolled down the long aisles, pausing now and again to take a closer look at something interesting.

I came to a complete stop at a wooden barrel with some handles protruding from the top. One handle was particularly thick. I grasped it and lifted. What could it be? It was a wooden paddle about two feet long, quite thick, with beveled edges and a contoured surface. It looked suspiciously like a bottom-reddener to me.

"What do you think this is?" I asked Ron, and smiled hopefully at him.

"I don't know."

"Do you think it's a cricket bat? It says 'Made in Pakistan' here on the other side." I grinned even more suggestively at him. "Only twenty-seven dollars."

"Put it down," Ron ordered. "It won't fit in the bedside table."

Sigh.

We moved along, and passed a corner display of military uniforms and other paraphernalia. There was another wooden barrel with more handles protruding. Most looked like ordinary walking sticks, but one thin curved handle looked suspiciously like it belonged to a disciplinary cane. However, I couldn't examine it. Bagpipe music - strongly associated with the military in our country - was coming from a small speaker in the hopes of attracting customers. Ron is not a fan of the pipes, and he quickly led me away.

I later Googled images of cricket bats, and sure enough, that's what I had seen. I suppose I should be glad it wouldn't fit in our implement storage area. It was quite fearsome. Still, maybe a small rack on the wall might be a possibility...