ouseboat Dilemma

aron Von Lodge was the head of a small country known as Lilliland near Switzerland. The time was the early 1900s.

On the farther shore of beautiful Castle Lake there were some Lilliland residents building and living on houseboats. The houseboats were basically small barges with a structure composed of a living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen and dining area. The houseboats were attractive and the people who lived on them seemed to be enjoying themselves. Once they were tied to a dock or anchored along the coastline of the lake they were seldom moved. The plumbing, waste disposal and garbage removal were rather crude and that is why many people complained about the houseboats.

The townspeople complained that beautiful Castle Lake was becoming a dumping ground for houseboat waste materials. A group of concerned Lilliland citizens signed a petition against the houseboats and gave the petition to the Baron.

The Baron consulted his chief advisor, Professor Hamblin about the growing problem. The Professor suggested that the Baron should stay for a few days on one of the houseboats with Lady Angela to get a first hand look at the situation. After a few days on the houseboat, the Baron and Lady Angela again consulted with the Professor. The Baron said that they had an enjoyable time and recommended that Professor Hamblin and his lady friend also spend some time aboard a houseboat. They did just that and then they all met again to recommend solutions to the houseboat dilemma.

The solutions seemed to be as follows: the houseboats should be restricted to a certain area of Castle Lake, a dock should be built for the houseboats, and plumbing and waste disposal should be readily available to all of the occupants. The houseboats would be required to have a safety inspection at regular intervals to make certain everything was in proper working order. Everyone agreed with the plans.

Lady Angela even had a houseboat built at Alpine Castle several miles away at her end of Castle Lake as a special retreat to relax and spend quiet time for herself and the Baron. The Baron liked the plan.