Tales of St. Austin's is a collection of short stories and essays, all with a school theme, by P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published on 10 November 1903 by Adam & Charles Black, London, all except one item having previously appeared in the schoolboy magazines, The Captain and Public School Magazine. The stories are set in the fictional public school of St. Austin's, which is also the setting for The Pothunters (1902); they revolve around cricket, rugby, petty gambling and other boyish escapades. Several characters in the stories also appear in The Pothunters. Contents "How Pillingshot Scored" The Captain, May 1903 (reprinted in Greyfriars Holiday Annual, 1926, as "How Pillingshot Scored!") Plot Mr Mellish announces that there will be a Livy examination next Saturday, and warns Pillingshot, whose work on Livy has been below par, that anybody who does not get fifty per cent will be severely punished. Pillingshot's friend Parker suggests he study, but Pillingshot dislikes this idea. Later, Parker tells Pillingshot about how another student, Brown, was injured and will be out of school for about a week. Scott, an older boy in the First Eleven (the school's primary cricket players), often makes Pillingshot do things and gets Pillingshot to play some cricket. Venables, of Merevale's House, is the captain of the St Austin's team and tells Scott he needs a player for next Saturday's match against Windybury, on the latter's ground. Brown was supposed to have scored for the team, so they need another player. Pillingshot volunteers. On Saturday morning, Mr Mellish learns Pillingshot will miss the examination because he is going to Windbury to score for the team, and realizes that Pillingshot has already scored. "The Odd Trick" The Captain, August 1902 Plot Philip St H. Harrison, of Merevale's, is outwardly genial but makes trouble if he thinks he can get away with it. He makes a noisemaker out of a biscuit tin, some pebbles, and some string, and conceals it. Using the string, he makes noises during the night without being caught for a while, but eventually Tony Graham, a prefect in Merevale's who looks after Harrison's dormitory, catches him and punishes him. A few days later, when Merevale's House plays a cricket match against the School House, Harrison acts as umpire and gives unfair rulings against Tony. Then one morning, Harrison wakes up late for chapel and does not have enough time to