It's EB White's commentary that raises a smile as we follow the tragedy of the poor "Pruitt" family. They live, quite contentedly, on a remote island - all seven of them - surviving on a diet of tins and corn biscuits whilst hibernating the winter through snuggly safe in their home. One year, though, the cold is especially bad and someone on the mainland realises how isolated they are. Alarmed, somebody somehow also gets the notion that one of the family has appendicitis and so just about every resource is mobilised to "rescue" him. A calamitous series of not so helpful activities now ensues th...