Armlet 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 Warrior's Armlet.

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 Warrior's Armlet.

Ahem.

Oh, yes, of course.

Let me tell you the story of Charlotte

And The Adventure Of The Warrior's Armlet.

It all began long, long ago

in ancient Britain,

an island of green forests,

majestic mountains, silver rivers

and tiny villages.

After journeying for days,

Charlotte found herself one cold, misty morning

in a small village.

SINGING

From nearby, she could hear the sound of a bright voice singing.

She followed the sound along the muddy path

until she found a neat little yard

and a woman decorating a hut with ribbons.

SINGING CONTINUES

-Lady Donohue! Lady Donohue!

-Is he here yet?

The great Donohue's not with me,

he has been wounded in battle.

Nothing severe, he's just sprained his ankle,

but they need you in the camp to attend to the other warriors too.

Of course. Let me get my bag of herbs and remedies.

Let's go. Oh! Oh, wait.

Old Calhoun has decided to give Donahue

the special warrior's armlet today.

He said he'd earned it and it was time.

That is a great honour.

-Everyone will see that Donohue is very powerful.

-Yes.

And I promised Old Calhoun

that I would pick up the armlet before he leaves for the island,

but I can't be in two places at once.

'Of course, Charlotte knew exactly how she could help Lady Donahue.'

Excuse me, I could get the armlet for you.

Oh, thank you.

That is very kind of you,

but the warrior's armlet is extremely valuable.

-Anyone who has it must be able to keep it safe.

-I promise I will.

-Hm.

I think I can trust you.

You'll find Old Calhoun's hut just in the woods beyond the village.

Bring the armlet back straightaway.

-Don't worry, I will.

-Take care.

And so off Charlotte went through the village and into the woods

to the old warrior Calhoun's hut

to complete what seemed to be a very simple task.

Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you,

-but I'm here to pick up the warrior's armlet for Lady Donohue.

-Who?

Lady Donohue - the wife of the great warrior Donohue.

He's been wounded in battle and she had to rush to help him.

Now...

let me see. Where did I put it?

Ah! There it is!

-You found it!

-Yes! I've been looking for this bucket for ages.

-What about the armlet?

-What armlet?

The warrior's armlet for Donohue.

Oh, yes, of course.

It's around here somewhere. Now, let me see.

'Old Calhoun began to search his cluttered hut,

'lifting this, looking under that.

'This was going to take a while.'

-When did you last have it?

-What?

The armlet.

Oh, um, about a couple of days ago.

It was in a wooden box.

-Like that one over there?

-What?

Oh, yes! Oh, thank you!

Ha-ha-ha-ha!

Ah! Here you are.

Thank you. I'll make sure Donohue gets it.

-Goodbye.

-Goodbye.

The box weighed heavily in Charlotte's arms

as she made her way back through the woods.

Curious to know what she was carrying, Charlotte lifted the lid.

The box was full of jewellery and fine stones,

but nothing that looked like an armlet for a warrior.

Charlotte turned on her heels.

Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you again,

but I just checked and the armlet isn't in the box.

Of course it isn't there.

You see, this was just a test.

'Now Charlotte was confused.'

-What do you mean?

-The armlet is a sign of a great warrior.

-Like a crown for a king?

-Exactly like a crown for a king.

So you understand why I couldn't just hand it over

to any young lady who came along. Oh, but don't worry,

you've proved you're kind-hearted by helping Lady Donohue.

Now I know you're honest, I can trust you with the armlet.

Thank you.

'Now she was trusted, Charlotte thought getting the armlet

'would be as easy as falling off a log,

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

It's far too valuable to keep around here.

You'll find it far away in the island in the loch,

buried in the box beside a tree.

You'll know it when you see it.

It wasn't even teatime and already it had got so complicated.

Charlotte had offered to collect the armlet for Lady Donohue.

She had helped Old Calhoun find the wooden box.

And she returned it the moment she realised

she had a box full of jewels instead.

But the armlet was still miles away.

She couldn't go back to Lady Donohue without the armlet, could she?

There was nothing else for it but to get her skates on

to the island in the loch to find the warrior's armlet.

So off went Charlotte in her old battered boots.

She scrambled across the ancient highlands 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 and there she was,

on the mysterious island in the loch.

But there was no time to admire the view.

Charlotte had to get that armlet.

There, a solitary windblown tree

was encircled by a ring of standing stones.

That must have been what Old Calhoun had meant.

She set about clearing the earth near the base of the tree

and soon found another box,

just like the last one.

Ah, yes.

But the box was locked.

Now what?

Well done.

'Old Calhoun. Was she dreaming?'

You have shown me that you are strong,

as well as brave and kind.

Now, you have to answer one last question

and you get the key to the armlet's box.

I'm ready. HE CLEARS HIS THROAT

What is the final quality you must have

if you are to be trusted with the warrior's armlet?

'The armlet can only be given

'to someone who is kind, honest,

'strong and, and...

'She thought about all the things

'she carried in her bag for her adventures -

'her binoculars...

'..her water flask...

'..her telescope -

'and that was when the answer came to her, crystal clear.'

I need to be an explorer,

to always be curious, and learn and discover new things.

Ha-ha-ha-ha! Congratulations, my dear.

That is the correct answer.

And what an armlet it was -

so beautifully crafted, but smooth and cold to the touch,

a true symbol of strength and beauty.

Now, goodbye.

I hope to see you again someday soon.

-Goodbye.

-Goodbye, Charlotte.

Back came Charlotte in her old battered boots...

..over the river and down the mountainside.

She had to be quick to get there in time

for the return of Donohue, the great warrior.

I've got it!

Oh, wonderful! Thank you!

-I hope it wasn't too much trouble.

-Not at all.

Old Calhoun was very helpful.

-Yes, he is a very special man.

-Yes, he is.

Oh, Donohue, my love, I am honoured to tell you

that Old Calhoun has decided it's time for you to have...

the warrior's armlet.

It's beautiful, but...

-BOTH:

-You should put it on.

It looks perfect on you, my love.

Now, let's all celebrate.

Yes, let's.

And that was that, the whole kit and caboodle.

-Charlotte And The Adventure Of The Warrior's Armlet.

-Wow!

-Quite a story.

-Yes!

So you're only allowed to pass the armlet onto someone

who is kind, strong and clever.

Indeed.

And you managed to show that you had all three qualities,

and got the beautiful armlet, too.

My goodness, time does fly when you're having fun. Come on.

Your mum will be here in a minute.

Your coat.

Now how did that get there?

Home time now, Charlotte.

Thanks, Great Aunt Lizzie!

Cheery-bye, Charlotte!