insists she loves him, on which the man leaps from behind the couch and kisses her. Uncle Fred criticizes the Parkers' insistence that their family is superior to Robinson's by claiming that various cousins and uncles made their money in immoral and even criminal ways. Though Mrs Parker denies all, Robinson sees it as vindication of his own family background, and claims all he needs is a hundred pounds to buy a share in a business. Uncle Fred provides the money at once, and Robinson and Julia leave delighted. Uncle Fred and Pongo leave the Parkers drinking a reviving cup of tea after their bizarre ordeal, and in the street meet Mr Roddis, the owner of the house. Uncle Fred introduces himself as a neighbour Mr J. G. Bulstrode, and Pongo as his brother-in-law, Percy Frensham. He tells Roddis two people broke into his house, pointing through the window to the tea-drinking couple, and advises Roddis to call the police. Though Uncle Fred is pleased with his actions, Pongo is shaken by his uncle's mischief. Thus, concludes the Crumpet, is Pongo's demeanour - on hearing he has to face another visit from his uncle - explained. Style Wodehouse makes use of various stylistic devices in his stories to create humour. One of the devices Wodehouse employs is the pun, as in the following quote from "Uncle Fred Flits By": "It won't be long," said the girl, "before Wilberforce suddenly rises in the world."She never spoke a truer word. At this very moment, up he came from behind the settee like a leaping salmon. Background Wodehouse's childhood experiences in Victorian Croydon inspired Uncle Fred's memories from childhood of the fictional Mitching Hill, which Uncle Fred recalls was once open country before becoming a suburb. Wodehouse was fond of parrots, and throughout the 1920s and 1930s, he kept pet parrots on and off. In addition to "Uncle Fred Flits By", he included a parrot in the short story "Ukridge Rounds a Nasty Corner". Publication history In the American women's magazine Red Book (which became Redbook in May 1943), the story was illustrated by James Montgomery Flagg. The story was illustrated by Gilbert Wilkinson in the Strand. In April 1948, the story appeared in a Swedish literary magazine, translated by Birgitta Hammer and illustrated by Kjell Wiborgh. In August 1955, the story appeared in Playboy with illustrations by Jerry Warshaw. "Uncle Fred Flits