All is not gold…

For the second time a local girl – though not what would be described as “francaise de souche” – tried the gold ring con on me this afternoon.  Has anyone else come across this?

You are walking along when you hear a sudden exclamation just behind you and a girl asks if you have dropped this shiny goldie ring.  When you tell her you haven’t,  she explains that she has just found it on the street and since her religion prevents her wearing such jewellery if she is not married, it is fate that intends the ring for you. At this point you are  supposed to grab it eagerly and press some folding money into her hand.

The first time this happened to me was quite close to a local charity shop – the Secours Populaire which seems to specialise in helping distressed Muslims – so I told her to trot along there with it. This she was unwilling to do, and  I left her looking round for another possible victim.

Today the ring was even bigger and shinier. The girl probably didn’t understand the Scottish words I used, (well it was raining and I was carrying a large package) but she caught the tone, and sprinted on to try it on my husband who was ahead of me and even more heavily laden.  He listened very politely and then asked me when I caught up with him, what it was all about. So I explained, by which time the girl had disappeared.

I think if this happens again I shall suggest she use it as a nose-ring, like piggies have.