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Dino Mahoney

Stories change as they are repeated and this is what happens in Pipa's Ring, tonight's Songbirds  drama on RTHK Radio 4 (FM 97.6) at 9.30pm. Pipa finds a ring and shows it to Wendy who tells Gemma about it. Gemma tells Mimi and Mimi tells Pansy until finally the story of Pipa's ring has very little to do with the truth.

Below is an extract from tonight's episode for you to read either before or while listening to the radio programme.

Pipa: Hey, Wendy, look what I've just found!

Wendy: A ring! How lovely! Where did you find it?

Pipa: I was just getting off the mini-bus and it caught my eye.

Wendy: Where was it?

Pipa: It was just lying there on the pavement in front of me.

Wendy: Lucky you ... I never find anything.

Pipa: I wasn't looking deliberately ... I suddenly saw something shining. Maybe the sun was on it ... and I looked down and there it was ... so I bent down and picked it up.

Wendy: It looks nice on you.

Pipa: Someone must have dropped it.

Wendy: Rubies and sapphires.

Pipa: If only! It's just a tin band and plastic stones. I don't think it's worth anything.

Wendy: Wouldn't it be great if those were real sapphires and rubies?

Pipa: Not sure ... I'd have to give it to the police.

Wendy: Yes, but if no one claimed it after three months, you get to keep it.

Pipa: It fits me, see.

Wendy: Really well.

Pipa: One stone's missing though.

Wendy: Where?

Pipa: See that little hole there?

Wendy: Oh, yes ... there should have been a stone there.

Pipa: A blue one because they go red and blue in a pattern.

Wendy: You could go back to where you found it.

Pipa: And look for a tiny blue stone? I'd never

find it!

Wendy: You might.

Pipa: Anyway, listen, I've got to be going ... my mum's making dinner and I don't want to be late.

Wendy: Okay ... see you, Pipa.

Pipa: Bye, Wendy.

Wendy: Hey, Gemma, guess what happened to Pipa?

Gemma: No idea. What?

Wendy: She found something in the street.

Gemma: Money?

Wendy: No, a ring.

Gemma: Lucky her! Where did she find it? Maybe we can go there and see if there's any more rings lying about.

Wendy: It was near her local bus stop, I think.

Gemma: What kind of ring is it?

Wendy: Rubies and sapphires.

Gemma: What? Pipa found a ruby and sapphire ring? Wa! Fantastic! It must be worth a fortune!

Wendy: Mind you, she's not sure if they're real stones.

Gemma: They must be!

Wendy: She was thinking of giving it to the police.

Gemma: No! Why should she do that? It's her luck to find it.

Wendy: But someone else's bad luck.

Gemma: Wendy, listen to me ... Pipa should not give that ring to a policeman ... know why? He'll keep it for himself, I know he will, he'll give it to his wife. That's what they do, the police. They keep expensive things that honest people find and give them to their wives.

Wendy: Or their girlfriends.

Gemma: Oh, yes, you're right there, Wendy. The poor policeman's wife won't see that ring ... it will be his mistress ... his secret lady up in Shenzhen ... a ruby and sapphire ring would really impress one of those kind of girls.

Wendy: It would.

Gemma: Those mistresses up there are hungry for things like expensive rings.

Wendy: I don't think she will give it to the police.

Gemma: Good for her. What a stroke of luck.

Wendy: I know.

Gemma: I love jewellery.

Wendy: So do I.

Gemma: I can't afford the real thing though ... all my jewellery is imitation.

Wendy: Mine, too.

Gemma: I've promised myself though, when I get engaged, if I ever do get engaged.

Wendy: Of course you will.

Gemma: When I get engaged, I'm having a real diamond ring ... a big one, not one of those tiny diamond chips they try to sell you.

Wendy: The ones you can hardly see.

Gemma: They look cheap.

Now listen to the rest of the Songbirds drama episode and try to answer the following questions:

1. Which secret did Gemma tell Mimi? She told her that Priscilla Wong ...

a) stole a lipstick from a supermarket

b) cheated in the examinations

c) played truant from school

d) wore second-hand clothes

2. Mimi told Pansy that Pipa had found a gold ring covered in ...

a) beautiful rubies and sapphires

b) sparkling diamonds and pearls

c) dazzling emeralds and opals

To listen to or read past Songbirds drama episodes, visit the Radio 4 Songbirds section of the RTHK website at www.rthk.org.hk

Answers: 1 a; 2 a



Story doesn't ring true