In the final scene, twelve drummers arrive at 7:30 in the morning after the birds and livestock have already kept the household awake through the night. The pipers arrive around 10:30, and the combined noise makes matters worse. The wife and other children leave for her sister's house, citing health and safety, while the daughter still regards the anonymous gifts as a declaration of love. The garden has become an orchard, and local agencies and animal-rehousing services are unavailable over Christmas. Someone must continue caring for the accumulated animals. The imagined parent considers giving up the usual train commute to London and becoming a farmer.
Chapter · 33:52-36:30
The final delivery displaces the family
Early drummers and continuing animal-care demands drive most of the imagined family away and make the remaining parent consider giving up an ordinary job.