Keyring Teacup Travels

Here they come, my two intrepid explorers,

Charlotte and Elliot.

I'm their great aunt Lizzie, you see.

And I wonder which one is coming to see me today.

Ah, so it's Charlotte's turn.

Here she comes, racing to hear another tale

from an epic adventurer.

TAP! TAP! TAP! TAP!

And what wonderful adventures they were.

So long ago and so far away.

I collected a few souvenirs along the way.

But my most precious possession of all

is my extraordinary collection of teacups.

You've still got your coat on, Charlotte. Come on,

no time to count the clouds, we've got stories to tell.

Now...

let's have a lovely cup of tea.

But first we need...

A teacup!

Which one?

That one!

Oh.

The Roman Key Ring.

What a choice, Charlotte.

I do really love that story.

This will be just perfect to drink now.

So...

-are you ready?

-Ready.

Then let me tell you the story

of Great Aunt Lizzie

And The Adventure Of The Lost Key Ring.

Ahem.

Oh, yes, of course.

Let me tell you the story of Charlotte

And The Adventure Of The Lost Key Ring.

It all began long ago

in an ancient empire

where towns and cities of marble and gold

nestled among the hills and fields

in a land we now call Italy.

After journeying for days across the Roman Empire

with its beautiful basilicas and magnificent mosaics,

Charlotte found herself in...

the cool morning shade of a grand street.

The breeze was rich with the aroma of freshly baked bread.

Charlotte followed her nose

in search of the source of the tasty smell.

That's the last two. All baked and done for today.

That's great, Atticus.

I think I'll just pop over and pay the miller -

I don't like owing money for flour.

You do that and I'll have a 10-minute rest.

O-o-oh.

Mm-hm.

I need the money, Atticus.

We owe them more this week because of the Vinalia Festival.

-Oh, so we do.

-So where is the key to the strongbox?

Then I can get the money to pay him.

On my finger, where it always is.

Atticus! I don't know why you can't have an ordinary key.

You keep losing the key ring.

It's the latest thing in Rome.

It's a key on a ring that you can wear. It's very clever!

Not if you keep losing it, it's not.

Right then, I suppose we have to start to look.

Again.

-Maybe it's in the backroom, like last time.

-Hm.

Aren't you going to help me look?

I would, my love, but I have the shop to watch.

Immediately, Charlotte knew how she could help.

-Excuse me, I could watch the shop for you.

-Really?

-Then you could both go and look.

-Excellent idea.

-SHE SNAPS HER FINGERS

-Come on, Atticus!

Coming, my love.

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

Do you have any fresh loaves?

Yes, lots. These two have just come out the oven.

Oh, yes, they're still warm. Wonderful.

-They do smell delicious. I'll take them both.

-Oh, great.

I'm meeting my brother in the square, he loves fresh bread too.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

We can't find the key ring anywhere.

What a puzzle.

The key ring had to be somewhere.

Maybe you need to think back to when you last had the key ring.

That's a brilliant idea!

Atticus, when did you last have it?

I think I had it before I took it off to knead the dough

to make the last two loaves.

-HE SNAPS HIS FINGERS

-I put it right here on the table.

Well, it's not there now.

Maybe the key ring ended up in the dough while you were kneading it.

-I suppose it's possible.

-Then you baked the dough.

-With the key ring inside.

-The key ring must be in...

-In the last two loaves of bread you made.

-Brilliant!

Now all we have to do is break open the loaves

and the key will be there!

Where are they?

In that split second, it dawned on Charlotte what had happened.

I just sold them to a woman.

Oh, no.

Well, she can't be far.

She said she was meeting her brother in the town square.

Without wasting a moment, Charlotte sprang into action.

She thought getting the key ring would be as easy as pie,

but of course it was never going to be as easy as that.

Just as Charlotte approached,

the woman popped the last piece of bread into her mouth.

Oh, dear! Had she just eaten the key ring along with the loaf?

Charlotte hardly dared ask.

-The loaf...

-Was delicious.

Thank goodness for that.

The key ring must have ended up in the other loaf.

Do you still have the other one?

No. I gave it to my brother.

He's gone home to Rome now.

Crumbs.

How had a little trip to the bakery got so complicated?

She'd watched the shop as the baker and his wife looked for the ring...

she'd got the baker to retrace his steps

to try to remember where he'd put it...

she'd sold the two loaves to the woman,

but she couldn't have known that the key ring was inside it...

and she thought getting the key ring back from the customer

would be a doddle. But no,

she couldn't go back without the key ring, could she?

There was nothing else for it

but to set off at a rate of knots

to Rome to find the woman's brother.

So off went Charlotte in her old battered boots,

she scrambled up the rugged mountain paths

until...

when she was almost out of breath...

the path ran out.

There was only one way to get to the other side.

Charlotte took a deep breath.

Safely across, she set off once more

until there before here

was the magnificent city of Rome.

But there was no time to be awestruck,

Charlotte had to find that loaf.

Charlotte ran through the streets

and soon found herself at the brother's house in Rome.

The loaf lay untouched on the table next to the man.

At least he hadn't eaten it.

Excuse me...

I'm sorry to bother you, but did your sister give you that loaf?

Yes, she did. We ate hers at lunchtime.

I'm saving MINE for supper.

Charlotte wasn't at all sure how to phrase this extraordinary request,

so she decided that honesty was the best policy.

The baker lost his key ring and I think it may be in that loaf.

-Oh, really?

-So I was wondering if I could, erm,

break it open.

But if you break it open now,

it would be all dry later when I eat it for my supper.

What a conundrum. For a moment, Charlotte was stumped.

So she looked in her bag for a bit of inspiration

and pulled out...

Tweezers!

They might work.

If Charlotte could extract the key ring very carefully...

-Just hold this, please.

-..it would leave the loaf intact.

The man agreed.

As carefully as she could,

Charlotte inserted the tweezers.

She just about managed to get a purchase on the key ring and then...

she pulled.

I got it!

And my loaf is still in one piece.

Finally, Charlotte had the key ring.

She turned it over in her hand

and was surprised at how small it was.

No wonder it had become hidden in the loaf.

Thank you. I'd better take it straight back to the baker.

-I hope you'll enjoy your loaf tonight.

-Thank you. I will.

-Bye-bye.

-Bye.

Back came Charlotte in her old battered boots,

over the plains and down the mountainside.

She's been to Rome and back in a day,

and all for the sake of a key ring.

She ran into town and back to the shop

where Charlotte arrived in triumph.

-You got it!

-Well done!

It wasn't quite as easy as I thought.

I'll go and pay the miller in a minute.

First, let's have some lunch.

But as the baker broke open the loaf,

there was yet another surprise.

Inside that loaf

was another ring.

Your wedding ring!

Oops. Two in one day.

-Hee-hee-hee.

-Let's just eat the soup.

Yes, let's.

And that was that, the whole kit and caboodle.

Charlotte And The Adventure Of The Lost Key Ring.

-Was that really his wedding ring in the loaf?

-It was.

Thank goodness they had that loaf for lunch,

or it might have gone forever.

And to think, it all started

-because his wife wanted to pay the miller for the flour.

-Exactly.

Who'd have thought the key ring was in the loaf you sold to the woman.

-Who gave it to her brother.

-Who was saving it for his supper.

Well, I never! Is that time already?

Come on, your mum will be here in a minute.

Your coat.

Now how did that get there?

Home time now, Charlotte.

Bye, aunt Lizzie!

Cheery-bye, Charlotte!