text: > look around
  Here are housed the younger children, from the age of weaning to about six years old. Formerly a lumber-room, its ceilings are oppressively low. The Middle House is to the north.
  
  Frannie, Agatha, Mildred, Gretchen, Bub and Jim are housed here.
  
  The Box is installed in a remote sub-basement, but the way to it is well-known to the miscreant and lolligagger.
  
  A pack of savage Ruritanian Mastiffs patrol the grounds.
  
  In one corner, piled up into a small mountain, are the many volumes of Polychromatic Lung's Fairy Tales.
  
  > Scrub mildred
  You seize Mildred, pinch her cheeks until they take on a healthy red colour, and make her dedicate a few hours to shining her shoes. This accomplished, you deliver a short lecture on the spiritual and bacterial dangers of filthiness. Hopefully the lesson is learned; her looks are now mediocre.
  
  > go north
  This ward is the home of children aged between six and twelve. A series of oddly-shaped rooms produced by ill-considered renovations, it's difficult to heat, the lighting is bad and there are far too many blind corners and hideaways. The Junior House lies south and the Senior north.
  
  The Box is installed in a remote sub-basement, but the way to it is well-known to the miscreant and lolligagger.
  
  A pack of savage Ruritanian Mastiffs patrol the grounds.
  
  Cob is housed here.
  
  Bart, Ray and Prudence are busily occupied with the ancient tricycles.
  
  > assign Ray to Box
  With steel in your voice, you condemn Ray Cotter to The Box until further notice. He folds himself into one of its compartments, and you lock the door.
  
  > Go south
  Here are housed the younger children, from the age of weaning to about six years old. Formerly a lumber-room, its ceilings are oppressively low. The Middle House is to the north.
  
  A pack of savage Ruritanian Mastiffs patrol the grounds.
  
  In one corner, piled up into a small mountain, are the many volumes of Polychromatic Lung's Fairy Tales.
  
  Frannie, Agatha, Mildred, Gretchen, Bub and Jim are housed here.
  
  > assign mildred to Box
  Knowing that it will do her good, you condemn Mildred Chollop to The Box until further notice. She folds herself into one of its compartments, and you lock the door.
  
  > Discipline gretchen
  You apply some well-deserved discipline to Gretchen Bloch. Her discipline is now bad.
  
  > go south
  What you do outside work hours and the Orphanorium is not the concern of this story. (The Middle House is to the north.)
  
  > Discipline frannie
  You apply some well-deserved discipline to Frannie Harris. Her discipline is now bad.
  
  > go north
  This ward is the home of children aged between six and twelve. A series of oddly-shaped rooms produced by ill-considered renovations, it's difficult to heat, the lighting is bad and there are far too many blind corners and hideaways. The Junior House lies south and the Senior north.
  
  A pack of savage Ruritanian Mastiffs patrol the grounds.
  
  Cob is housed here.
  
  Bart and Prudence are busily occupied with the ancient tricycles.
  
  Ray is spending some time in The Box.
  
  > Go north
  Here reside the oldest children, aged roughly twelve to fifteen. The largest, best-lit and airiest of the wards, its walls are decorated with inspiring murals. The Middle House lies to the south.
  
  A pack of savage Ruritanian Mastiffs patrol the grounds.
  
  Dorinda is housed here.
  
  > discipline dorinda
  You apply some well-deserved discipline to Dorinda Twite. Her discipline is now mediocre.
  
  > ring bell
  The Box has weakened Ray Cotter's morale, which is now abysmal.
  The Box has sapped Ray Cotter's vigour, which is now poor.
  The Box has stiffened Ray Cotter's discipline, which is now poor.
  The ancient tricycles have fortified Bart Button's vigour, which is now mediocre.
  The ancient tricycles have fortified Prudence Socket's vigour, which is now mediocre.
  The Box has weakened Mildred Chollop's morale, which is now poor.
  The Box has stiffened Mildred Chollop's discipline, which is now bad.
  
  You receive a government stipend of 110 for the feeding and care of your orphans; and pay out 33 coins on necessary care and maintenance, most of it going on food.
  Your profligate meal plans have borne fruit: Bart Button has gained vigour, and Ray Cotter, Gretchen Bloch, Frannie Harris and Prudence Socket have improved their morale.
  
  Gretchen Bloch and Frannie Harris have grown up a little, and been transferred to the Middle House.
  
  > Go south
  This ward is the home of children aged between six and twelve. A series of oddly-shaped rooms produced by ill-considered renovations, it's difficult to heat, the lighting is bad and there are far too many blind corners and hideaways. The Junior House lies south and the Senior north.
  
  A pack of savage Ruritanian Mastiffs patrol the grounds.
  
  Frannie, Gretchen and Cob are housed here.
  
  Bart and Prudence are busily occupied with the ancient tricycles.
  
  Ray is spending some time in The Box.
  
  A new task: Friends Like These
  
  Agatha Dorrit, one of the worst children in the institution, seems to be spending a lot of time with Prudence Socket of late. You are troubled by this development; the adage "one bad apple spoils the barrel" is hard to live by when curating a compost pile, but Agatha is liable to ruin the least awful of your wards.
  1 - Punish them both.
  2 - Punish only Agatha.
  3 - Punish only Prudence.
  4 - Let it be. They'll drift apart soon enough.
  
  > 1
  Agatha endures the punishment with her characteristic insensitivity to good influences, but Prudence seems devastated by the incident. She avoids Agatha thereafter, but she gives off an air of raw hostility whenever you're near her.
  
  > Consult
  What do you want to consult?
  
  > read the catalogue
  A respected specialist catering to the orphan management trade, Fobberfish of Hackney provides a wide variety of goods at virtually affordable rates. Bowing to the decadence of the age, this once-respectable publication now features many vain luxuries that you can safely ignore, such as fair-trade gruel, artisanal wildflower soap, and smallpox vaccines. The few items of real utility have been circled in red pen:
  
  Atherton's Ergonomic Treadmill (400 coins)
  My First Delousing Bath (350 coins)
  Spinal Corrective Corsets (450 coins)
  Dr. Pranger's Lithium Water (700 coins)
  triple-barred windows (350 coins)
  The Harvest of Sin (700 coins)
  
  > Status
  Jim        poor         poor         bad          poor
  Gretchen   poor         bad          bad          bad
  Bart       mediocre     mediocre     bad          mediocre
  Agatha     bad          bad          poor         mediocre
  Bub        poor         abysmal      poor         bad
  Frannie    poor         bad          poor         poor
  Prudence   poor         mediocre     poor         poor
  Mildred    poor         abysmal      mediocre     poor
  Dorinda    mediocre     bad          poor         poor
  Cob        poor         bad          poor         mediocre
  
  > Unassign Ray
  You allow Ray Cotter to take a break.