I WAS reading Ronnie a bedtime story tonight, entitled, “How to Drown Bunnies”.

It’s quite an original tale, set in a strange land where it occasionally doesn’t rain. Very strange indeed. Anyway, all the grown-ups in this land are evil and enjoy nothing better than killing their children’s pets, then standing around pointing at the dead carcases and laughing as their children burst into tears.

“Does it have a happy ending?” asked little wide-eyed Ronnie.

“Not really,” I said. “Unless by ‘happy’ you mean grown-ups will have to spend less time cleaning out rabbit hutches.”

Ladybird books have gone right downhill since I was a kid, if you ask me.