Stories of Tie Up Games

Chapter Seventeen – Julian Pulls the Strings

When Julian, Dick and Ann arrived at the farmhouse, they were greeted first by Peter’s mother.
“It’s a pity you’re leaving again today — but next time you must stay longer. I’ve made you some lunch-packs for the journey back.”
With that, she pressed a bag containing three cardboard boxes into their hands.
“Oh, thank you very much — that really wasn’t necessary.” Julian said politely, taking the bag from her.
Just then Peter appeared. “Come along — I’ve something to show you!” he said, and the three followed him out of the farmhouse towards the barn. After a few steps he turned round and said with a laugh, “Sorry, I’ve nothing to show you at all. I simply wanted to escape from in there.”
“We rather thought as much, Peter.” Ann replied.
A moment later they slipped through the little side-door into the barn, which Peter bolted behind them.
“Glad we managed to fit this in before midday. When do you have to go?” Peter asked.
“In an hour and a half we must be back at the cottage.” Julian told him.
“How do we continue our TUG?” Dick asked at once.
“I won last, Peter lost, Julian’s turn next, and you sit out!” Ann declared firmly. The three boys didn’t quite understand her system, but none of them wished to argue with her decision.
They climbed the ladder up to the hayloft, opened the gable door to let in some light, and fetched the rucksack with the ropes and neckerchiefs.
Ann began to tie Julian in a frog tie. It went quickly, as Julian didn't resist. Peter was similarly cooperative, following Julian's example. Although Julian was already lying helplessly on the floor, he offered Ann “Shall I help you tie the knot?”, which got him a stifled laugh from Dick and an extra cleave gag from Ann. She wished them both "Have fun" and sat down next to Dick in the hay. To her dismay, both boys were increasingly able to free themselves from the ropes.

"You concentrated too much on tying their legs and then were sloppy with their arms.” Dick analyzed accurately.

"No, the ropes are just too thick." Ann defended half-heartedly.

After a short time, Peter and Julian had freed themselves from Ann's ties. According to their strict TUG rules, Julian would have won, as he had stood up first. But since Peter hadn't played according to their TUG rules so far, the two boys agreed to a draw. So Dick and Ann would be tied up next. Julian let Peter go first. Peter had a new idea. He fetched the two longest ropes and tied first Dick then Ann from shoulders to feet. Then he laid them both on the ground, placed his backpack at the far end of the hayloft, and announced, "First one there wins."
A rather slow race began, with caterpillar-like movements or by rolling sideways. Julian watched Ann and realized it was getting ever harder for him to imagine this girl in her skirt as his boyish cousin George again. He was already beginning to miss the easygoing way he used to interact with George. Dick ultimately won the race, not least because Ann was at a disadvantage: she had taken off her heeled sandals before climbing the ladder, while Dick had kept his sneakers on. It was decided that Julian would now tie up Ann and Peter.

"Your double tying to the roof post had to be ended prematurely. We can finish it now." Julian announced. "Dick, don't just stand around, give me a hand."

'It's unusual that Julian needs my help with TUGs' Dick thought to himself, but he hurried to his brother's aid, as Ann and Peter were already standing ready on opposite sides of the post. 'What on earth is Julian doing? He's done this kind of tying before. He's never been so clumsy!' Dick wondered. 'And why is Julian using two ropes and giving me such strange hand signals?' Then it clicked for Dick, and Julian breathed a sigh of relief when they were both finally pulling on the same rope, so to say. Peter too was somewhat surprised, because when he and Ann had been tied up in the same way the day before, Dick had managed it on his own without any trouble. Based on Dick and Ann's statements, Peter had expected Julian to do it faster and better than his younger brother.
Peter and Ann tried their luck again, trying to free themselves: feet, hands, shoulder – all to no avail. They both tried taking deep breaths at the same time, but that didn't work either.
Julian and Dick watched the two of them for a while, then Julian glanced at his wristwatch, which, thanks to its luminous hands, could be read even in the dim light of the hayloft. After about five minutes, he stood up and went to Ann, grabbed one end of a rope, and as if by magic, the restraint on her side came undone, while Peter remained tied to the wooden post. Admittedly, Julian had used knots that were considered fouls in their TUGs, but it had been worth it to surprise Peter.

“Well now, Peter, we’ve enjoyed it enormously — but we really must be off.” Julian said at last. “We’d hoped you could take us to the bus stop on the tractor, but it seems you’ll be tied up here for quite a while yet.”
Behind Peter’s back Julian glanced at Ann, then pointed first at Peter, then tapped his own cheek. Ann’s eyes grew round with horror (as far as Julian could tell in the dim hayloft), and she indignantly made the cuckoo-sign at him.
“Don’t worry, Peter — help is on the way, unless you manage to free yourself within the next thirty minutes.” Julian added cheerfully.
“What? What do you mean? Who’s coming?” Peter cried in alarm.
“I spoke to Lisa this morning” Julian explained reassuringly, “and told her to look in on you in about half an hour from now.”
Pointing at the ladder, Ann suddenly said, “You two go on down.” and Julian and Dick climbed to the floor below.
A moment later Ann followed. Dick glanced up — but Julian quickly turned his brother’s head away and murmured, “George will never be a proper young lady.”
Ann slipped her sandals back on, and all three brushed as much hay from their clothes as they could. Dick picked up the bag with the lunch-packs and together they left the barn and walked back towards the cottage.
On the way Dick felt almost wistful. 'It’s interesting having Georgina as a girl now,' he thought 'but our adventures will never be quite the same as they were with George.'

Chapter Eighteen - A Queer Dream

When the three of them reached the cottage, Anne had already put the suitcases ready, turned off the water and gas, stripped the beds and swept the little sitting-room. She lifted the lid of the big trunk and folded herself inside without being asked – she was getting quite practised at it by now. Perhaps the large trunk would become a permanent part of her room at home, she thought.
Ann and Dick had to carry their smaller cases, but Julian had the easier job: once the big trunk had been carried out of the cottage and set on the lane, it rolled mostly downhill. All Julian had to do was slow it down and keep it on course. The uneven road and the tiny wheels of the trunk shook Anne thoroughly about, but she did not complain.
“Anne needn’t have gone into the trunk this time.” Dick whispered. “Peter can’t take us by surprise now.”
Julian only shrugged. “But I didn’t have to force her either. And it means we only need three bus tickets!” he added with a grin. “With the money we save, I’ll buy us four ice creams at the station.”
The walk downhill took longer than expected and they reached the stop barely five minutes before the bus arrived. Anne stayed curled inside the trunk, but begged them to open the lid a little, for the sun was blazing down again from a cloudless sky and it was getting very hot inside.
The same unfriendly driver sat behind the wheel. They loaded their luggage themselves and climbed aboard. As the bus was already rather full, the three had to find seats separately.
When Ann walked down the aisle she noticed how many people shifted aside to make room for her on their benches – something that had hardly ever happened to her when she was George.

With each of them sitting alone, they could follow their own thoughts, as far as the winding road allowed.
At the station they once again sought out the distant waiting-room and were lucky to find it empty. Anne climbed out of the trunk and the four of them rearranged their luggage. As promised, Julian bought four ice-creams at the station's kiosk. Georgina took hers and wandered off with Timmy for a short walk. When she returned, it was already time for her train. The other three accompanied her and Timmy to the platform, where Dick stuffed one of the lunch-boxes into her rucksack.

When the steam train for Kirrin Bay came puffing in, Julian helped her lift the suitcase into the carriage. She found a window-seat, slid the window down and waved to her cousins. Even Timmy, who had — quite against the rules — climbed onto the seat and pressed his wet nose to the pane, barked his farewells. They stayed there until the train jolted into motion.
The electric train that was to take Julian, Dick and Anne back to their London suburb would arrive in fifteen minutes.
George stowed her case and rucksack and told Timmy where he was to lie – as if he didn’t know perfectly well.

She sat thinking for a while. Once again she had become aware that Julian, Dick and Anne were London children, brought up in private schools from the very beginning. They spoke rather differently from her, used other turns of phrase, and put their emphasis in quite another way. They had never mocked her for being less well-schooled, never once made fun of her. But still — she spoke… well, rather like Peter.

After all, she was a country girl from the coast, who had gone to the little village school until only last year. Since then the gold ingots the Five had discovered on Kirrin Island had made it possible for her to attend a private school as well. She had first tried to join Anne at her conservative girls’ boarding school, but they simply would not have her presenting herself as a boy. Then they had found her a liberal co-educational school where she could be George without anyone making a fuss.
Lately George had been having strange, new thoughts – thoughts about the future. As the compartment was still nearly empty, she told Timmy about them.

“Julian will join the Army and be an officer, that’s plain.” she said and Timmy seemed to agree.

“Dick understands people so well. He’ll be a psychologist - or maybe a mind-reader at a variety show.” Timmy did not contradict her.
“Julian once said Dick would become ‘a man of the cloth’, but I can’t quite see him as a parson. Maybe it was just one of his 'Julian jokes'.”

“Anne is getting dreadfully clever. Perhaps she’ll be a scientist like my father?”

Now Timmy looked at her expectantly. And what would become of her?
The journey dragged on. More people got in at the next stations, all with great heaps of luggage, off to the seaside. George fell asleep in the warm, rocking carriage. She woke with a start when the elderly woman opposite stood up before the next stop and bumped George's knee with her suitcase.
“Sorry to wake you, girl!”
“No, no, it’s just as well you did.” George replied, still a little dazed. “I was having the most ridiculous dream.”
She had dreamt of the farm – her farm. Peter and she living there together, four strong arms working the land of her forefathers – happily ever after.
She noticed a most unpleasant taste in her mouth, fumbled for her water-bottle and rinsed her mouth quickly. What an utterly stupid dream! He was George and wanted to be a boy – that she knew. Blast! Now even he himself got things muddled. And boys couldn’t have crushes on boys. That he knew as well.

Perhaps the lunch-box in her rucksack would keep any more unsettling thoughts away. She opened it and found a ham-and-egg sandwich, an apple, a cereal bar – and, to her surprise, a postcard.
'A postcard?' she wondered, for her birthday and Christmas were still half a year off.
On the front it was signed by Julian, Dick, Anne – and even a paw-print from Timmy. In her small neat handwriting Anne had added “the true one!” under her own name.
When George turned the card over it bore only three large words: “Welcome back, George!”
It was exactly what she had needed at that moment.

Chapter Nineteen - Sometimes it's Necessary

Georgina arrived back at Kirrin Bay late in the afternoon. She decided not to give the Royal Deed to her parents at once. The next morning, when she dressed, she chose one of her usual boyish outfits. Now she felt more herself again. When she joined her parents for breakfast, they looked her up and down; her father quietly rolled his eyes, but neither of them said a word about it. Yet.
Her golden earrings no longer matched her boyish appearance, but she didn’t dare leave them out for long in case the holes closed. Luckily, they were mostly hidden by her black curls, which were now far too long for her liking. That would be the next step. She went down to the village barber’s and had her hair cut short – boyishly short. And from her saved pocket money she bought a pair of silver studs.
When she returned to Kirrin Cottage at lunchtime, she slipped into her father’s garage and removed the nail polish with some acetone. Then she crept up to her room to make sure her parents wouldn’t see her too soon – presenting herself again as George. She took the Royal Deed and waited until her mother called her for lunch. When she finally walked into the kitchen, she carried the deed unrolled in front of her. Her plan worked exactly as she had hoped: Her parents were astonished by the document and overwhelmed when they realised what it meant for them – and for the plans of the motorway. They asked her how she had come by it and she told them about the Five’s recent adventure, leaving out most of the part about Peter. By the time she had answered all their questions, her parents had quietly accepted that she had gone back to being George. Later that day her father even came to her and gave her the money she had spent on the ear studs.

A week later, Julian’s, Dick’s and Anne’s mother brought home the photographs that Dick had taken during the trip, freshly developed from the chemist’s. They had all come out rather well; Dick really seemed to have a knack for it. When they looked through the pictures at home, Mother paused at one.
“Dick, who are those two young people you’re standing with in front of the castle ruins?”
“The boy is Peter, the farmer’s son.”
“Yes, I thought as much. And the girl beside him – well, she’s a very pretty one. Didn’t you like her too?”
Their mother had once again forgotten to put on her reading glasses. With great effort the three managed to keep the secret from their mother – but George had to put up with being called ‘Peter’s pretty girlfriend’ for quite a while afterwards.

Two weeks later George phoned Julian’s and Dick’s mother.
“Hello, George. I’m sorry, all three of them are at the fair today – it’s in town this week.”
“That’s all right, Aunt – I actually wanted to talk to you.”
“Well, I’m pleased to hear that, George. How can I help you?”
“Actually, I thought I might help you. It’s Dick’s and Julian’s birthdays next month.”
“Yes, Dick on the 2nd and Julian on the 7th – that you should remember them!”
“I might know of a present for them, if you haven’t already something in mind.”
“No, nothing yet. I’d be grateful for any ideas.”
“I don’t know whether they told you, but I finally had my ears pierced.”
“No, they didn’t say a word. But in London it’s becoming quite common also for boys to have earrings nowadays…”
George adored his favourite aunt because she never had the slightest difficulty accepting him as a boy.
“Well, they kept staring at mine. They asked where I’d had it done, whether it hurt, how much it cost.”
“Really? You think…?”
“Yes. They even asked how I’d persuaded my parents to allow it at last. I could hardly stop them doing something stupid with a safety pin and a potato there and then.”
“Oh! Thank goodness!”
“I think they’d both be terribly surprised and really delighted if you had their ears pierced for their birthdays.”
“I’d never have thought of that. Well, perhaps for Dick… but Julian? Still, it’s a truly original idea – and it doesn’t cost too much either. Thank you, George. And give my kind regards to your parents.”

“Dick is far too much of a coward to ask his parents.” George explained to Timmy, who had been listening with great interest. “But if 'sensible' Julian wants it too, they’ll think it must be all right. And Julian has to go along with it because he can't be a coward in front of his younger brother.”
Timmy understood that perfectly well. But he also felt that something was weighing on George’s mind.

After the little prank she had just set in motion for his cousins, George suddenly found herself sitting in the chair beside the telephone, lost in thought and struggling with himself. She needed someone who would not only listen – Timmy would always do that – but someone who would understand him. Then she took his courage in both hands and dialled her aunt’s number once more.

“Hullo Aunt? Yes, it’s me again… Could I talk to you? About… well, some personal things?”
It turned into one of the longest telephone conversations either of them had ever had. So long, in fact, that the following month George’s father asked him about the unusually high telephone bill. George admitted that he had been speaking with his aunt.
“That long?” his father asked. George nodded his head and looked at him meaningfully.
His father looked back at him, thought for a moment, then shrugged and said only, “Sometimes it’s necessary, I suppose.”

[ finished ]

Don't hesitate to leave your comments!

@Jenny_1972 such a well written story i enjoyed the adventures and the Tugs thank you for posting this story
have you written any other stories, it would be good to read them if you have

Camguy2050 wrote: 2 weeks ago @Jenny_1972 such a well written story i enjoyed the adventures and the Tugs thank you for posting this story
have you written any other stories, it would be good to read them if you have

@Camguy2050 I'm glad you like this story; feedback is a rare thing on this site.

Yes, I have written other stories:

There are 13+ Katja stories - a father telling about the TUGs of his teenage daughter: viewtopic.php?t=23922

Then there is Free to be a Slave, the continuation of Katja's story as a young adult viewtopic.php?t=24427 ADULT!

And there is a story about a lady and her Scold's Bridle: viewtopic.php?p=210493#p210493 ADULT!

Regarding the Famous Five story, I have plans to continue this subject - maybe one story for each of the characters.

harveygasson wrote: 1 month ago It's an interesting start and I'm not too familiar with the famous five characters but looking forward to reading more.

In short: Julian (14), Richard "Dick" (13), and their sister Anne Barnard (12) live in the suburbs of London. They all attend boarding schools so the holidays are the time to spend together. Not much is known about their parents.

Their cousin Georgina Kirrin (13) lives at the coast in Kirrin Bay. (Her mother's family used to be the local landowners). She has a dog called Timmy. Her parents are Uncle Quentin - a scientist - and Aunt Fanny - a housewife. Georgina used to attend the local village school, but since the Famous Five found a gold treasure at tiny Kirrin Island her parents intend to send her to a better school too.

Georgina wants to be a boy, insists in being called 'George' and generally does boy's things like rowing, swiming, helping with boats, etc. Most people around her accept that.

In Enid Blyton's Famous Five they experience lots of adventures, in old castles, on an uninhabitated island, with gipsies, with a traveling circus, with smugglers, etc. Though most of the stories were published around 1960, the world they play in appears still pre-war. The stories have a 'floating chronology': although they cover 10+ summer holidays the kids age max. 1 year.

TUGs are not a genuine part of Blyton's stories, only in a DiD context. My Famous Five are about one year older than Blyton's and have TUGs as a shared pastime. I also tried to make the setting more early 1960s.

Congratulations, Jenny. I remember watching these as a teenager. And, not coincidentally, I followed them precisely because their adventures sometimes led to the TUGS, where I always hoped Georgia and Ann end up captured and tied up. Yours is a wonderful initiative, congratulations.

sweetvillain wrote: 1 week ago Yours is a wonderful initiative, congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank to you, Jenny