Ukridge Rounds a Nasty Corner
"Ukridge Rounds a Nasty Corner" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, which first appeared in the United States in the January 1924 issue of Cosmopolitan and in the United Kingdom in the February 1924 Strand. It features the irrepressible Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge, and was included in the collection Ukridge, published in 1924.
Main characters
- Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge, the irrepressible entrepreneur
- Julia Ukridge, his haughty writer aunt
- Millie, a girl Ukridge falls for
- Lady Elizabeth Lakenheath, Millie's parrot-loving aunt
- Jimmy Corcoran, Ukridge's writer friend
- George Tupper, an old schoolfriend of Ukridge and Corcoran
Plot
When Jimmy Corcoran is hired to help prepare the memoirs of a deceased colonial, he is amazed to see his friend Ukridge visiting the house, pretending not to know him. He had, earlier that day, received a bottle of patent medicine and a parrot, delivered by Ukridge, so he is even more amazed when Ukridge brings up parrots to his employer, Lady Elizabeth Lakenheath.
Ukridge later reveals that he has fallen in love with and wooed Millie, Lady Elizabeth's niece and ward, and together they have kidnapped the parrot in order to help obtain the aunt's consent to their marriage. Ukridge is also involved in the sale of "Peppo", the patent medicine.
The parrot scheme is successful, but Millie's aunt wishes to meet Ukridge's Aunt Julia. Knowing that any such meeting will result in the revealing of Ukridge's past, they must stop the two from coming into contact until Aunt Julia, currently working in rural seclusion, leaves for a tour of America.
When Lady Elizabeth is invited to a meeting of the Pen and Ink Club, Corky goes to Aunt Julia's house to intercept a speech she is due to make at the meeting, hoping that the lack of a speech will prevent her from attending. Julia has returned early, however, and is highly suspicious of Corky's presence. Next day at the Lakenheath's he expects to find Ukridge's name turned to mud, but all is well; Lady Elizabeth was unable to attend the meeting, as her precious parrot was sick.
Ukridge reveals that the plucky Millie had plied the parrot with Peppo, rendering it dangerously inebriated.
Millie and Ukridge would later marry, and on occasion rely on Lady Elizabeth to pull them out of hot water, as in Love Among the Chickens (1913).