axytl

A professional in a gorilla costume is still a professional.

Reminds me of a classic from the rotten.com faq:

Q. I can't believe you guys put that one in of the baby. I was at a party last night and we were laughing at all of them and then that came up. My daughter passed away at the age of 20 days of SIDS and that just grossed me out. Please take it off. Thanks, Andrea.

A. Okay, story straight -- you were at a party... laughing at other people's misfortune... and then were reminded of your own. Oh the irony.

That connection has an odd effect for me, reading the book now. A fiver is the price of a pint and a half of beer. Not a thing of great worth, not treasured. Disposable and of little account.

As a child on the other hand, quite apart from many years of inflation, a fiver meant a positive mountain of sherbet dips. A fantastic treasure!

I can't help wondering now about how this association has coloured my view of the character. Emphasising the outcast freak more today, rather than the visionary hero then, just because the worth of the namesake has changed!

A paper bag of sherbet, plus a strawberry lollipop inside to dip in it. Five pounds back then would buy an obscene number of them.

The actual name was 'Hrair-roo' or something like that, 'Hrair' meaning uncountably many, which for a rabbit is anything over four. So I'd go for the number five here!