The Feud in the Chalet School
A new English school, St.Hilda's, is started in the Oberland, quite near to the Chalet School, but in a tragic incident, the school buildings burn down the day before the students were due to arrive. The headmistress is seriously injured while saving Minette, the school cat and Miriam Ashley, the only other staff member present also suffers minor burns. The head has to be hospitalized, and when the rest of the St Hilda's staff and pupils arrive, they find themselves refugees!
The Chalet School steps in and offers to house them till the buildings are rebuilt. All goes well at first, though there are grumblings among the St. Hilda girls regarding the Languages rules among other things. But real trouble begins with the middles. Jack Lambert & Co get into fierce fights with Gillie Garstin and her gang from St. Hilda's. Despite all efforts from the prefects of both schools to put an end to this ill feeling it soon escalates to the proportions of a feud.
To make matters worse, Miriam Ashley possesses a domineering and impulsive nature which makes her resent the fact that instead of being second in command at St.Hilda's, she is one of the most junior mistresses among the Chalet staff. Her obsession with getting St. Hilda's into separate quarters lead her into some really grave indiscretions which make for a chilliness among the staff.
Altogether, things are in very bad state when Minette takes a hand! By the time the Minette adventure, which included Jack and Gillie climbing up the roof at night to the horror of a few mistresses, including Miss Ashley who can only watch in shared anxiety, is over, the last traces of the feud vanish.
The girls then start to settle in comfortably and even Miss Ashley feels that till they are re-established in their own quarters, she too belonged to the Chalet school. The term ends with a very successful nativity play in which both schools take active part.
contributed by Sindhu Menon, India __ working from a paperback edition
If you want to find out more, click on Spoilers
As the link suggests, it gives more of the story - without, of course
giving everything away!
If you want to find out more, click on Spoilers
As the link suggests, it gives more of the story - without, of course
giving everything away!