Snake Bracelet 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 Elliot's turn.

Here he comes,

racing to hear another tale

from an epic adventurer.

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, Elliot.

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!

But which one?

That one.

Oh.

The Roman Snake Bracelet.

What a choice, Elliot.

I do really love that story.

This is 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 Roman Snake Bracelet.

A-ahem.

Oh, yes, of course.

Let me tell you the story of Elliot

And The Adventure Of The Roman Snake Bracelet.

It all began long, 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.

Elliot was off to explore the Roman hills

when he made his way into the imperial capital.

The shops were closed

and the streets, normally bustling with people, were quiet

except for a solitary fruit seller

who was packing his things to go home.

As he worked, a young woman called Vivian approached

and spoke to him in a chirpy, cheerful voice.

Hello. Is it too late to buy a bunch of your juiciest grapes?

You're just in time, my friend. These are VERY rare. Very expensive.

-Is it just the one bunch?

-Two, please.

Having a good day?

One of the best days of my life.

These are so delicious.

Last night,

my master gave me my freedom.

Ten years ago, the Roman army docked me here to work on a farm.

And today, I'm on my way home to find my mother.

It's always good to see a happy face.

Two bunches of grapes...

I'm afraid that'll be ten sestercii.

Wow! That is a lot.

-Everything OK?

-My purse, it's gone!

It had all my money in it.

-The fruit seller was a kindly man.

-Oh, that's terrible.

But he was nearly as poor as she was.

-He certainly couldn't afford to give away the grapes.

-I have no money.

I can't afford to give you even the grapes you've eaten.

-Could you just give me three sestercii?

-My purse is gone!

-You could pay me with this.

-Stop! You can't take that!

-It's broken, barely worth a single sestertius.

-It was my mother's.

The day the soldiers took me away,

she broke it off a bracelet and wrapped it around my wrist.

-It's all I have to find her.

-I wish I could just give you the grapes,

but I can't afford it.

Now it's not always good to get into someone else's argument,

but Elliot wondered if he could help.

Excuse me, I have an idea.

-He REALLY needs the money.

-I know, I know.

And the bracelet is VERY precious to her.

Yes, I see that.

Elliot knew that the next bit was going to be difficult.

So why don't you let him look after the bracelet

while you go and get some more money?

I was on my way to a job in the hills picking olives.

-As soon as you get paid, you can come back.

-I'd be very careful with it.

So, are we agreed?

But he really felt for Vivian.

She didn't want to be parted

from the bracelet her mother had given her, not even for a moment.

But what else could anyone do?

They set off for the hills together,

Vivian for her job picking olives,

Elliot to explore.

The days passed quickly for Elliot.

He'd been worried about Vivian and her bracelet,

so one afternoon he waited on a ridge near the olive grove.

In the haze was a little hut,

where have Vivian was laying a sack of olives by the door.

There, too, was the farmer with a woman,

a merchant from a distant land

eager to buy the olives.

-That's the last sack of olives for today, master.

-Thank you.

Here's two sestercii

and you can have the rest tomorrow.

Vivian was delighted.

In just one more day,

she would have enough money to buy back her bracelet.

Meanwhile, the farmer and merchant were trying to make a bargain.

OK. It's more than I planned,

but I'll take the lot.

I'll have to go back to boat for more money.

But life has a way of springing surprises.

Something Vivian could never have expected

glinted in the sunlight and caught her eye.

That's a very pretty pendant.

I'm not sure if I'd call it pretty, but it's very precious to me.

I've had it a long time.

-Is it made from part of a bracelet?

-Yes.

Come on, Julie, there's still a lot to be done

if you're going to be ready to sail home tomorrow morning.

Right then, Claudius,

I'll be back with the money first thing in the morning.

When Elliot saw Vivian slump on the bench and stare into the dust,

he knew something was wrong.

Vivian, what's the matter?

-I think I've found my mother.

-That's brilliant!

Yes, but she didn't recognise me.

She hasn't seen me since I was a little girl.

I haven't got the bracelet to prove that I'm her daughter

and she sails back home tomorrow. I might never see her again.

-So what are we waiting for? Let's go.

-I still don't have enough money.

If I go and get it, my mother will leave.

Go and find her, don't let her out of your sight.

I'll go to Owen and see if he'll take anything less.

We'll meet here in the morning.

Elliot had thought getting back to Rome

would be as easy as one, two, three,

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

By the time he arrived at the main road,

he'd missed the last wagon to Rome.

It wasn't even a week since he'd met Vivian,

but, deary me, it had got complicated.

He'd done his best to persuade Vivian

to let the fruit seller look after her bracelet,

and he'd managed to convince the fruit seller

that she'd come back with the money,

but he'd never expected Vivian to find her mother so soon.

And, between them, they still didn't have enough money.

He couldn't go back with nothing, could he?

There was nothing else for it but to get his skates on to Rome

to the fruit seller.

So off went Elliot in his old battered boots.

He scrambled up the rugged mountain paths until...

when he was almost out of breath...

the path ran out.

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

Elliot took a de-e-ep breath.

Safely across,

Elliot set off once more until,

as dawn broke, he reached the imperial city of Rome.

But there was no time to waste.

Elliot had to get that bracelet.

He soon found himself back in the market square,

where the fruit seller had already set up his stall for the day.

He knew he would have to do his very best

to try and persuade him to give him the bracelet.

-Hello again.

-Oh, hello.

-Is something wrong?

-I need the snake bracelet my friend had,

but, well, I don't quite have enough money.

No, this is only two. We said three.

I know, but Vivian's just found her mother,

but she doesn't have the snake bracelet to prove it.

Couldn't you settle for two?

She only had a few grapes, and she'll pay the rest of the money tomorrow.

Oh, I don't know.

But the stallholder really was a kind-hearted man.

It'll make such a difference to Vivian.

All right. That's a fair trade.

Tell her I don't need the rest of the money.

Elliot was so pleased

to finally have the bracelet in his hand.

It felt pebble-smooth to the touch.

It was much lighter than Elliot had expected.

Thank you so much! Bye.

Back came Elliot in his old battered boots,

across the open plains and down the mountainside.

With the bracelet in his pocket,

Elliot arrived back at the olive grove.

-I'm sorry, I really have to go.

-But I'm sure he'll be here.

I've got the snake bracelet!

That's impossible. I gave it to my...

Daughter.

Ten years ago, when she...

I mean, I...

was just a child.

I'm called Vivian. I think I'm your daughter.

That's it.

That's the bracelet.

-Vivian!

-Mother!

-And it's all thanks to you, Elliot.

-My bit was easy.

Now, shall we go home?

Yes, let's.

And that was that, the whole kit and caboodle.

Elliot And The Adventure

Of The Roman Snake Bracelet.

I was so pleased the market trader gave you back Vivian's bracelet.

-Me, too.

-Of course, those little bracelets were so common -

lots of people made them, all over the Empire.

But that broken bracelet was PRICELESS to Vivian and her mum.

Absolutely. That bracelet was the key to them finding each other

after so long apart.

Well, I never! Is that the time already?

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

Now, how did that get there?

Home time now, Elliot.

Thanks, Great Aunt Lizzie!

Cheery-bye, Elliot.