My Frogs are happy.  They've been croaking all day.  Not as in 'They've croaked', although you could say there was a petit mort, which might explain why they are so happy.

And I found a newt in my pond.  Like this fellow:



Actually, he had more of an orange belly than this.  But I think he was a common newt.

Tommo

JEEVES: Mr. Fink-Nottle, sir, has been a frequent caller.

I stared. Indeed, it would not be too much to say that I gaped.

"Mr. Fink-Nottle?"

"Yes, sir."

"You don't mean Mr. Fink-Nottle?"

"Yes, sir."

"But Mr. Fink-Nottle's not in London?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, I'm blowed."

And I'll tell you why I was blowed. I found it scarcely possible to give credence to his statement. This Fink-Nottle, you see, was one of those freaks you come across from time to time during life's journey who can't stand London. He lived year in and year out, covered with moss, in a remote village down in Lincolnshire, never coming up even for the Eton and Harrow match. And when I asked him once if he didn't find the time hang a bit heavy on his hands, he said, no, because he had a pond in his garden and studied the habits of newts.

I couldn't imagine what could have brought the chap up to the great city. I would have been prepared to bet that as long as the supply of newts didn't give out, nothing could have shifted him from that village of his.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir."

"You got the name correctly? Fink-Nottle?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, it's the most extraordinary thing. It must be five years since he was in London. He makes no secret of the fact that the place gives him the pip. Until now, he has always stayed glued to the country, completely surrounded by newts."

"Sir?"

"Newts, Jeeves. Mr. Fink-Nottle has a strong newt complex. You must have heard of newts. Those little sort of lizard things that charge about in ponds."

"Oh, yes, sir. The aquatic members of the family Salamandridae which constitute the genus Molge."

The newt in my own pond, I'll have you know, is absolutely top-drawer. I call him Tiny, because he's my newt.

Kindly leave the stage! 

decided to pop off home early as could feel a cold coming on, and carmen was on r3 that evening

so.... who won ?

... where the womenfolk are never put upon.  You can't imagine Brunnhilde complaining of Siegfried that "he wouldn't do a little thing like pinch a policeman's helmet for me."

Or if you prefer it an operatic language:

IO: «Ti sei divertito ad Ascot?».
JEEVES: «Piuttosto, signore».
IO: «Vinto qualcosa?»
JEEVES: «Una discreta sommetta, signore, grazie».
IO: «Bene. Niente di nuovo, Jeeves? Telefonate, visite? Successo niente durante la mia assenza?».
JEEVES: «Mr Fink-Nottle e stato un assiduo visitatore».
Spalancai gli occhi e poco ci manco che restassi a bocca aperta.
«Mr Fink-Nottle?».
«Si, signore».   
«Non vorrai dire Mr Fink-Nottle ?».
«Si, signore>.:
«Mr Fink-Nottle e a Londra?».   :-      ;
«Si, signore».
«Questo si che mi sorprende».
E vi diro perche. Non potevo crederci. Questo Fink-Nottle, capite, era uno di quegli stravaganti individui, in cui vi capita di imoattervi netfa vita, cAe non possono sopportare Londra. Da anni viveva, sepolto dal muschio, in un remoto villaggio nel Lincolnshire, senza lasciarlo mai, neppure per gli incontri di Eton e Harrow. E una volta che gli avevo chiesto se non trovava un po' noioso starsene sempre la, aveva risposto di no, perche in giardino aveva uno stagno e si divertiva a studiare le abitudini dei tritoni, le salamandre acquaiole.
Non riuscivo a capire cosa avesse potuto trascinare quel tipo in citta. Avrei giurato che, finche ci fosse stata una scorta di tritoni, niente avrebbe potuto stanarlo dal suo villaggio..
«Sei sicuro?».   -/
«Si, signore».
«Hai capito bene il nome? Fink-Nottle' 
«Si, signore».
«Straordinario. Sono cinque anni che non viene a Lon¬dra. Non cerca neppure di nascondere che questa citta lo innervosisce. Finora e rimasto incollato in campagna, com-pletamente circondato dai tritoni».
«Come ha detto, signore?».
«Tritoni, Jeeves. Salamandre acquaiole. Fink-Nottle e fissato con i tritoni. Devi averne sentito parlare: quella spe¬cie di lucertoline che sguazzano negli stagni».
«Oh, certo signore. I membri acquatici della famiglia Salamandridae che costituisce la classe MoJge».