Jess and Becky Miller

…and the case of the missing pocket knives

Jess and Becky Miller live with their Dad and Mum, Neil and Emma Miller, at Margaret Downs Station, NT. When we visit these bright, lively, entertaining, and endearing little girls, their parents and grandparents, are invariably friendly and hospitable.

In 2009 during our stop over, Jess, just 3 years old, was keen as mustard to “shop” at the truck when we opened the doors. She had a little shopping bag, and was up and down our small step ladder, looking at all the gear attached to the doors. Seeing her totally absorbed in an imaginary shopping experience, the adults were happy to “let her be.”

Following a great stay with the Millers, we travelled on, and stopping at the next station, we opened the doors as usual, and ….. all the pocket knives were gone from the display!! We phoned the Millers, thinking that Jess might have “bought” the knives and put them in her shopping bag. They conducted a thorough search and investigation, but not one pocket knife was found.

The next day as we were setting up the shop, Lyle was hanging up the nose bags, close to the pocket knife display, and the proverbial penny dropped! A quick look in one of the nose bags revealed the missing knives. Instantly, it became clear that on the night in question, the industrious Jess Miller, standing on a step ladder, and seeing a row of pocket knives, had methodically removed them and placed them in a nose bag, within easy reach.

Relief all round, and mystery solved!

Image caption:

1) Becky and Jess