 The British Parliament buildings are inspected regularly for hidden explosives. A resident of Germany paid customs duty on goods he never received. A game of golf was once prohibited in Scotland. Can you imagine that? This is Lindsay McCarrie once more, friends, and, well, yes, I will admit some of the statements we make on this series of broadcasts certainly sound ridiculous. But they're all true, and if you'll stand by your loudspeaker and pay close attention during the next 15 minutes, we'll prove the authenticity of every one of them. We'll be back with you in just a minute and a half with the first one. Can you imagine that? Did you know that every year, just before the British Parliament convenes, an inspection is made of all the nooks and crannies of the House of Commons and the House of Lords for hidden explosives? It's true, ladies and gentlemen, and the cause for this procedure goes back more than 330 years. In 1605, Robert Catesby, Guy Fox, and a group of their accomplices, planned to blow up the King, the Commons, and the Lords in one fell blow. This was a result of a long quarrel between Protestants and Roman Catholics. But a mysterious anonymous letter received by Catholic Lord Montagle warned Parliament and the famous gunpowder pot was laid wide open when Guy Fox was discovered in a vault below the House of Lords, just ready to ignite 36 barrels of gunpowder and a large quantity of other explosives. Fox and his associates were all put to death, but the custom has remained of an annual inspection of all possible places in the Parliament buildings where high explosives might be stored for the nefarious purpose of destroying Britain's piers and commons. Can you imagine that? Well, here's a sad little story about a man who had to pay customs duty on a shipment of goods he never received. His name was Andrew Slater, formerly of Connecticut, and in 1999, living in Frankfurt, Germany. On December 4th of that year, Mr. Slater appeared in the office of the customs inspector. Good morning, my dear. You speak English? Oh, yes, but this is Slater. My name is Slater, Andrew Slater. I'm expecting a package from France. One moment, Mr. Slater. Oh, yes, yes, here is the declaration. Four bottles of boned wine. Yes, yes, that's it. You see, a very good friend of mine in France makes this wine and he wrote me that he was sending me two bottles of two different kinds. For Christmas, you know. Mine here. I regret that there is no wine. Yes, of course. If you... What? Oh, oh, you mean it hasn't arrived yet. Yeah, if it has arrived, it has been inspected. Inspected? Yeah. You see, Herr Slater, all wine coming into Germany over the frontier must be inspected. The customs ruling is that two bottles must be supplied for each vintage. Also, your friend has sent you two bottles of two different vintages. Just sufficient to undergo official inspection. And... And I haven't any wine. I regret, my dear. And the customs duty is 17 marks for each vintage. 35 marks for both, if you please. You mean I have to pay duty on wine? I don't even get. That is the official ruling, my dear. Well, I'll be... All right, here. Here are your 35 marks. Thank you. Thank you, sir, my dear. And, Herr Slater, the wine was excellent. Yes, sir. Poor Mr. Slater had to pay about eight dollars and a half duty on the wine which had been sampled by customs inspectors. Inspected, so to speak. Wine which he never had the pleasure of enjoying himself. Can you imagine that? Listen, you outdoor guys and gals. Do you recognize this sound? And this familiar cry? For golf. The game that sends mighty men into gibbering Fitzafuri when they miss a little white ball. Golf is generally conceded to have its origin in Bonnie Scotland. The Royal Scotch game it's called, but once upon a time it was prohibited in Scotland. Can you imagine that? Yes, in 1457 a proclamation was issued that might have read something like this. By royal order of His Majesty the King of Scotland, the game called golf, also the game called football, are hereby prohibited in Scotland because of the alarming decrease of interest in the national sport of archery. Yes, sir. Golf was prohibited in the land of its birth, but ardent golfers continued to golf. In fact, enthusiasm reached a new height. And in 1491 the Scottish Parliament was forced not only to borrow the game anew but made fine and imprisonment the punishments for anyone caught playing the game. And that included the persons on whose property it was played. Then how did the game get back into popularity? Well, it's a very amusing story. It seems that James IV of Scotland was one day signing the 1491 bill. His signature was affixed to the document when one of the noblemen of the court spoke. Your Majesty, I pray you consider this decision about golf. Too late, sir. Too late. I've signed the bill. But, sire, this game is one of the best. Better than archery, perhaps, her foolishness. Majesty, it keeps one out in the helpful air. It builds sinews and strength. I pray you withdraw the bill. I ask you. Nay, I command you to stop fretting about this idiotic game. It cannot be compared to archery. Have you ever seen a game, your Majesty? No, I have not. Or should I look at a game which for a mile on a porch is child's play? Sire, I've taken the liberty of bringing my golf clubs and the ball here today to try to convince your Majesty that the game isn't a stupid. If I may be permitted... Oh, go ahead. Go ahead. It will amuse me to see a grown man pummeling and hammering a foolish little ball. Thank you, sire. The ball is put down soon. The club is held, hasn't it? You see, sire? Yes, I see. I see. I see one of my courts straining at nuts, throwing a strength away on a tiny ball. You think it requires skill to hit the ball with a club? Would you, Majesty, can't you try it? I try it? Oh, lurchmant is not skill. The club, Your Majesty, and the ball. I... Oh, very well, very well. I'll end this nonsense once and for all. Work, you know. I've never touched a ball or a club, but I'll wiggle and I'll hit it further than you. Stand aside, Lincoln. And you, Murdoch, I... So, I waggle the club thus in... I... Your Majesty, the ball. The ball, eh? Aye, you missed it, sire. Ah, Lincoln, hold my tunic. I'm bound by its sleeves. So, no idiotic ball can make a fool of James the scholar. Aside, then, Murdoch! What? Confounded! Is the ball tied to the floor? Aside, Murdoch! Don't get in the way. No! What good! And so, James the Fourth of Scotland perspired and grunted, and the little ball mocked him until he went to bed that evening vowing to conquer the game, and thus he became an addict. And when the people heard of his penchant for golf, they proceeded to disregard the laws against the game and played it with all the more fervor. And, by the way, Mary Queen of Scots is the first woman golfer on record. In fact, she brought a heap of criticism upon herself by shooting a few neat holes of the game just a few days after her husband Henry Stuart Darnley was blown to bits at Kirkafield, Scotland. Can you imagine that? Well, that's a good old Scots tune. The Campbells are coming. You know, in our digging around for musical oddities, which we expect may startle you a bit, we found a number of old classics and old folk melodies, which, if the tempo has changed slightly, amazingly resemble some of our modern popular songs. For instance, listen again to The Campbells Are Coming. And now, just listen to this old familiar tune in a different tempo as a waltz. Did you hear one of our modern popular ballads in that? You didn't? All right, get this. There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Another session of Can You Imagine That? We'll be back with you soon again on this same station. And until then, this is Lindsay McCarrie, bidding you all goodbye now.