... Counting as I go... fifteen... sixteen... seventeen...

My Bardic Buddy, Breddelwyn, comes up and breaks my train of thought, and I lose count. Ah, well! There must be at least twenty here, and more where they came from.

"Be a good Lad, will ya?" I ask. "Go down to the other end of the table and give it a bit of a lift! Just enough so that the pies begin to slide my way!" I grin with anticipation.

He laughs and does as asked and the delectable berry tarts begin their inexorable march down the table. With my hands behind me, I lean forward into the first of the lot. Chomp... Gulp! Chomp... Gulp! Chomp... Gulp! Three great bites and it is gone. And just barely in time, too! The second pie arrives and I repeat the process, mindless of the berry stains on my face.

Chomp... Gulp! Chomp... Gulp! Chomp... Gulp! Over and over! Again and again! The pies keep marching and I keep munching! A small crowd begins to gather to cheer me on. Some other kind soul starts to stack more pies on the other end of the table. Breddelyn is groaning under the sustained strain, and some rough-looking warrior offers to share his load.

I dare not look around, as the pies are coming faster and faster. Someone in the crowd starts counting aloud and the others pick up the chant! Twenty-two!........... Twenty-Three!........ Twenty-four!..... They're coming faster and faster! Twenty-Five!.... Twenty-Six!... Twenty-Seven!.. I'm thinking that warrior lad is helping a bit too much!!! Twenty-Eight! Twenty-Nine!Thirt!!! I am suddenly overwhelmed by an avalanche of bilberry pies. At least half-a dozen of them come rushing at me, all at once. The impact knocks me back from the board and onto my overlarge bottom. But still, I keep my hands behind me, where they arrested my fall!

People gather round to see if I am injured. I explain between bites that it's only a matter of my "dignity" that got bent a bit. "I'm fine! I'm fine!" I tell them. "Howsoever! Could somebody please lift up on the end of that cloth? There are still a few crumbs out there that I can't quite reach!"