Bingo And The Little Woman

"Bingo and the Little Woman" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in ''The Strand Magazine'' in London in November 1922, and then in ''Cosmopolitan'' in New York in December 1922. The story was also included in the collection '' The Inimitable Jeeves'' as two separate stories, "Bingo and the Little Woman" and "All's Well".

In the story, Bingo Little, who wishes to marry a waitress and wants his uncle's approval, asks Bertie to once again pretend to be the romance novelist Rosie M. Banks.

Plot

Bingo and the Little Woman

Bertie and his friend Bingo Little dine at the Senior Liberal Club, where Bingo falls in love with their waitress. She returns his feelings. Bingo asks Bertie to convince Bingo's uncle, Lord Bittlesham, to restore his allowance by once more pretending to be the romance novelist Rosie M. Banks, whom Lord Bittlesham admires. Bertie is reluctant, but Bingo reminds him they were at school together. Bingo tells Bertie to send Bittlesham an autographed copy of Rosie M. Banks's most recent novel, ''The Woman Who Braved All''.

Having greatly enjoyed the book, Lord Bittlesham listens to Bertie and agrees to restore Bingo's allowance. However, he does not approve of Bingo's engagement.

Bertie tells this to Bingo, who is happy about his allowance but disappointed not to have his uncle's approval. Bingo is gone for three days, and when he reappears, he looks dazed and rambles about random topics. At last, he tells Bertie the big news: he is married.

All's Well

Bertie is stunned that Bingo finally got married. Bingo convinces Bertie to talk to Lord Bittlesham again to break the news. Bertie talks to Bittlesham, and at first Bittlesham is angry that Bingo married without his approval. Bertie, however, quotes from ''The Woman Who Braved All'', and persuades him to support the marriage. As he leaves, Bertie tells Bingo and his wife, who are waiting outside the room, that they can talk to Lord Bittlesham now.

Bingo later comes to Bertie in distress and says that his wife, spotting the same book Bertie quoted from, told Lord Bittlesham that she was Rosie M. Banks. She had been working as a waitress to gather material for a book and had not told Bingo because she was touched that Bingo loved her regardless. At first, Lord Bittlesham calls her an imposter, but she proves her claim. Bittlesham is angry with Bertie and Bingo for fooling him. Rosie is also upset with Bertie for pretending to be her. Jeeves suggests that Bertie go hunting in Norfolk while Jeeves stays behind to sort things out.

Bertie does not enjoy himself in Norfolk and returns to London. He goes directly to Bingo's place to find out what has happened, and meets Lord Bittlesham there. Bertie fears a scene but Bittlesham acts awkwardly. Afterwards, Bertie sees Bingo, who says that his uncle and Rosie get along great now. On Jeeves's advice, Bingo told his uncle that Bertie is mentally unsound, and everyone was fooled by Bertie's delusion. Bingo got the nerve specialist Sir Roderick Glossop, who has had several bizarre run-ins with Bertie, to verify this claim.

Indignant to be made out to be mentally unsound, Bertie intends to fire Jeeves. He cannot bring himself to, however, when he considers how right it feels to see Jeeves in the flat. Instead, he simply thanks Jeeves.

Publication history

The story was illustrated by A. Wallis Mills in the ''Strand'', and by T. D. Skidmore in ''Cosmopolitan''.

Adaptations

Television

This story was adapted in the ''Jeeves and Wooster'' episode "Honoria Glossop Turns Up", the third episode of the fourth series, which first aired in the UK on 30 May 1993. There are some differences in plot, including:
* The episode takes place in New York rather than London.
* In the episode, Lord Bittlesham is being treated by Sir Roderick Glossop.
* In the episode, Jeeves does not suggest the plan that they say Bertie is mentally unsound; Instead, Bertie and Jeeves escape from the conflict by jumping off an ocean liner.

Radio

This story, along with the rest of ''The Inimitable Jeeves'', was adapted into a radio drama in 1973 as part of the series ''What Ho! Jeeves'' starring Michael Hordern as Jeeves and Richard Briers as Bertie Wooster.

References

Sources

*
*
*

External links

The Russian Wodehouse Society's page
with numerous book covers and lists of characters

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bingo and the Little Woman
1922 short stories
Short stories by P. G. Wodehouse
Works originally published in The Strand Magazine