What happens when Merlin goofs up a spell? How does a young pilot of a single-engine aircraft cope when his plane is struck by lightning mid-flight during bad weather and all his instruments fail? How about a woman who appears to be the perfect wife for the captain of a ship? Just how ideal is she when something unexpected happens to her husband? What to do with a much-loved cat when the family that owns him moves to the other side of the world to live? In this entertaining collection of a variety of individual stories divided into four parts, Jack tells it all as The Long and the Short of it covers a range of genres and attitudes. Firstly, the 'not quite normal' or 'odd ones'. Next, tales of the sea and air and then stories derived from his observations of people. Finally, he focuses on creatures from the world of animals. For a brief break from reality, these stories are an excellent source of quick fun.