The Well-travelled Camembert

  The kids made their way off the bus, clutching their souvenirs form a day trip to France.

“Make sure you’ve got everything,” called their teacher.

After they’d all gone, she and her colleagues inspected the seats and overhead luggage rack. “You always get one, don’t you?” she said, holding up a decent size Camembert. “I’ll take this home and bring it back on Monday.”

“You’re not putting that stinky thing in our fridge,” said her husband.

She left it in the garage.

By the time she arrived at school on Monday the cheese was getting rather ripe. She decided it would be better to leave it under her car rather than in it.

As soon as she got in she composed an announcement for the daily bulletin.  

If anyone left a Camembert, i.e. a French cheese, on the bus on Friday, it is now under my car, the blue Beetle, on the west car park.  Please help yourself.

Not everyone listens to the bulletin and one student who had a cold and who was shortly going to a music festival certainly hadn’t. He spotted the cheese under the car. He and his mate went over to inspect it further.

“Looks like somebody’s lost their cheese,” he said. “I’ll take it to lost property.”

“No time,” said his mate. “The bus is here, look.”

The cheese was stuffed into a bag, taken to the music festival, and then left in a heated bedroom overnight.

“What’s that horrible smell?” the boy’s mother asked in the morning. “Have you been forgetting to put your dirty washing away again?”

The boy remembered the cheese. “It’s all right, Mum. I’ll deal with it.”   

As soon as he arrived at school he took the cheese straight to lost property. “It’s a bit whiffy,” said the school secretary. “I’ll put it in the newsletter.  But if nobody collects it today, it’ll have to go.”

The French exchange group arrived that evening. No doubt some of the students brought less adventurous Camembert for their hosts.  The teachers met later in the week at the home of the couple who were putting up the organizers. The hosts were providing a main course and others were bringing wine, cheese, appetizers, chocolates and dessert.

“Excellent meal,” said the head of department as they all sat finishing off their wine and cheese.

“Indeed,” said one of the French teachers. “And I’ve never tasted such an exquisite Camembert.”

“Ah, well, there’s a story about that,” said the colleague who had brought it.

Which just goes to show; Camembert improves with traveling.