The Pothunters facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | P. G. Wodehouse |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Comedy novel |
| Publisher | Adam & Charles Black |
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Publication date
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18 September 1902 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| OCLC | 2124818 |
The Pothunters is a fun and exciting novel written by P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published on September 18, 1902. This book was Wodehouse's very first novel, and it's one of his many stories about school life. The story takes place at a made-up British boarding school called St. Austin's.
The book was first shared as a series of chapters in a British magazine called Public School Magazine from January to March 1902. Later, it was released as a full book in America using pages from the British version.
The novel follows the adventures of several schoolboys as they study, play sports like boxing and running, and hang out in their rooms. The main mystery begins when two silver sports trophies, which the boys call 'pots', go missing from the school. Everyone at St. Austin's – the students, their teachers, and even the police – joins the hunt to find the stolen 'pots'.
Some of the characters you meet in The Pothunters also appear in other stories about St. Austin's. You can find these in a collection of short stories called Tales of St. Austin's, which came out in 1903.
Contents
The Mystery of the Missing Trophies
A Boxing Match and Bad News
Tony Graham, a student in the Sixth Form at St. Austin's, wins a boxing match against his cousin, Allen Thomson, from another school. Tony and another athlete, Welch, head back to St. Austin's. Tony's younger helper, Robinson, excitedly tells them that a window in the Pavilion (where the sports trophies are kept) was broken. Robinson thinks the trophies have been stolen!
Jim's Secret and the Spreading News
Tony later sees Jim Thomson, Allen's brother, who also goes to St. Austin's. Jim had bet some money on Allen in the boxing match and now needs to pay him back. Jim's father promised to give him money for every race he wins at St. Austin's. Jim has already won one race and hopes to win another. Thanks to Robinson, everyone at school soon hears about the missing trophies. It turns out only two trophies (for the quarter-mile and hundred-yard races) and a small, unimportant flask were taken.
Jim tells Tony that on the night of the break-in, he secretly went into the Pavilion. He had left his study notes there and needed them for an exam. While he was inside, he heard someone jump out of a different window. Jim now realizes he accidentally interrupted someone who was stealing the trophies. He's worried about what will happen if anyone finds out he was in the Pavilion that night.
School Life and Suspicions
Dallas and Vaughan share a study with Plunkett, who is the bossy head of their House. They tell MacArthur, a day-student, how much they don't like Plunkett. Welch shares a study with Charteris, who runs a secret school magazine called The Glow Worm. Only a few students know Charteris is the editor: Welch, Tony, Jim, and Jackson. Charteris jokingly suggests that Welch, who is likely to win the missing trophies, might have taken them. But Welch says he doesn't just compete for the prizes. Jackson mentions that some money was also stolen from a jacket in the Pavilion.
A Discovery and a Detective
Another student, Barrett, goes onto Sir Alfred Venner's land without permission to collect bird eggs. There, he finds the stolen trophies hidden in a secret spot used by a poacher (someone who hunts illegally) inside a hollow tree. A groundskeeper chases Barrett away. The groundskeeper then bumps into Plunkett, who was also on Sir Alfred's land without permission. Barrett runs into Roberts, a detective who is investigating the missing trophies. Barrett doesn't want to get caught for trespassing, so he doesn't mention seeing the trophies.
The Investigation Continues
Mr. Thompson, a school teacher, becomes very interested in solving the mystery. Detective Roberts tells Thompson that the person who took the trophies wasn't a professional thief. The window wasn't broken neatly, and only someone connected to the school would have known the trophies were kept there temporarily.
Later, Mr. Thompson accidentally opens a letter meant for "J. Thomson," thinking it's for him. The letter is from Allen, asking Jim for money right away. After Jim narrowly loses the mile race, Charteris suggests publishing a special issue of The Glow Worm about the mystery and sports. They hope to sell enough copies to earn the money Jim needs. The Headmaster and Mr. Thompson think Jim might have taken the trophies, but Jim says he didn't. After Sir Alfred complains about Plunkett smoking on his land, the Headmaster makes Plunkett leave the school, which makes Dallas and Vaughan very happy.
The Truth Comes Out
Jim goes with MacArthur to MacArthur's family home nearby. Detective Roberts tells the Headmaster that he has found the person who took the trophies. A man named Stokes accidentally dropped some money when he bumped into Roberts. Roberts showed a picture of Stokes to Biffen, the school groundskeeper, who recognized him as someone who worked at the school. Stokes admitted that he took the trophies, hoping to sell them. He is a poacher and had hidden them in his secret spot. Roberts advises the Headmaster to ask Sir Alfred to search the hiding place. He also suggests not pressing charges against Stokes, as Stokes is now scared and likely won't cause trouble again.
That night, Jim isn't in his House. The Headmaster worries Jim ran away because he was accused of taking the trophies. He asks teachers to send older students to search for him. Charteris and Tony learn from Biffen that Jim went to MacArthur's home. They find and rescue Jim, who fell into a quarry (a deep pit) on his way back. Barrett decides to admit that he saw the trophies, but changes his mind when he sees they have been returned and given to Welch. Charteris and his friends stay up late to finish the special issue of The Glow Worm. It sells very well, earning Jim the money he needed, even though Jim forgot to write anything for the issue!
Main Characters at St. Austin's
Students at St. Austin's
- Tony Graham: A leader in Merevale's House at St. Austin's and cousin to Jim and Allen Thomson.
- Jim Thomson: Allen Thomson's brother and also a leader in Merevale's House.
- J. George Welch: A student who shares a study with Charteris in Merevale's House.
- Charteris: A leader in Merevale's House, nicknamed "the Alderman." He secretly edits the school's unofficial magazine, The Glow Worm.
- Barrett: A student who collects bird eggs and shares a study with Reade in Philpott's House.
- Plunkett: The unpopular head of Ward's House. He shares a study with Vaughan and Dallas, who jokingly call him "the Mutual Friend."
- Robert MacArthur: A day-student (meaning he doesn't live at the school), nicknamed "the Babe."
- Jackson: A student in Dawson's House who writes for The Glow Worm.
- Reginald Robinson: Tony Graham's younger helper in Merevale's House.
Staff and Other People
- Biffen: The groundskeeper at St. Austin's.
- Mr. John Thompson: The teacher for the Sixth Form.
- Mr. Merevale: A housemaster at St. Austin's who coaches rugby and cricket.
- The Rev. Herbert Perceval, M.A.: The Headmaster of St. Austin's College.
- Sir Alfred Venner, M.P.: The owner of Badgwick Hall and the land nearby.
- Detective Inspector Roberts: A detective from Scotland Yard.
- Stokes: A worker who does odd jobs, farm work, and also hunts illegally.
Cool Facts About the Book
Old Technology: The Jellygraph
Some parts of the story might seem a bit confusing today because technology has changed so much! For example, Wodehouse writes, "On Sunday we jellygraph it," without explaining what that means. A jellygraph was an old way to make a limited number of copies (about 20 to 80) from one original.
To use it, you wrote on a special paper with a pencil that had "jellygraph pigment." This paper was then placed face down on a pan covered with a special gelatin. The ink from the paper would transfer to the gelatin as a mirror image. Then, you would place blank sheets of paper one at a time onto the gelatin to make copies. It was a simple, though slow, method. The copies often had pale, hard-to-read text.
A Clever Latin Joke
In chapter 11, one of the characters quotes a Latin phrase and says it's from a famous Greek historian named Thucydides:
- Conscia mens recti, nec si sinit esse dolorem sed revocare gradum.
This is actually a joke! Thucydides wrote in Greek, not Latin. Wodehouse likely expected his readers to know this. The phrase itself is a mix of lines from two different Roman poets, Ovid and Virgil. It's a clever way for the author to show off his knowledge and add a bit of humor for those who get the reference.
