Ice Skates Teacup Travels

Here they come, my two intrepid explorers.

Charlotte and Lokesh.

I'm their Great-Aunt Lizzie, you see.

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

-Off you go.

-Ah, so it's Charlotte.

-Hello, Charlotte.

-Hello, Great-Aunt Lizzie.

Once upon a time, I travelled the world,

discovering treasures from long ago and far away.

And no end of stories to remind me.

But my most precious possession of all

is my extraordinary collection of teacups.

Here we are.

No time to count the clouds.

Let's have a nice cup of tea and a story.

But first we need the teacup.

But which one?

-That one!

-Ah.

The Viking ice skates.

Excellent choice, Charlotte.

Mm, you've been baking, Great-Aunt Lizzie!

Shall we decorate it ,or shall we just eat it like it is?

-Can we decorate it?

-Well, it'll need to cool.

But I can feel the icy Nordic breeze already.

So, shall I tell you the story

of Charlotte And The Adventure Of The Viking Ice Skates?

It all began long, long ago in Viking times,

when daring Scandinavians lived in a land of bleak winter nights

and endless summer days.

It was the end of one such hard winter

when Charlotte arrived near a fishermen's village.

Not far ahead,

she saw an elegant young man holding a strangely carved piece of bone.

Oh, true love is so difficult to find, so easy to lose.

Where are you, my love?

-Will I ever find you?

-But who was he talking to?

There was nobody there but the trees.

You, stop right there.

No.

-Too big.

-May I ask what you think you're doing with that ice skate?

This isn't just any ice skate,

this belongs to the lady I'm in love with.

-Who?

-I wish I knew, but I don't.

I saw her skating a couple of days ago.

So poised, so graceful.

I just knew I had to marry her.

But when I got near, she was gone.

Only her ice skate was left behind.

Well, if she's daft enough to go skating in the spring when the ice

is melting, she might be daft enough to fall for you!

I need to find the woman it fits.

Well, it doesn't fit me. Good day.

Alas, she has disappeared into the mist.

I will live a life in solitude, no friends,

no beloved princess at my side.

Princess?

Excuse me, I was curious.

If you don't know who she is, how do you know she's a princess?

Because I'm a prince, Prince Eirik of Morgot.

Oh! I'm honoured to meet you, Prince Eirik of Morgot.

How do you know the woman who lost her skate is a princess?

I don't. But if she married me, she would be.

I've been to every village in the land, checked all the ladies' feet,

but none of them fit. All is lost, I give up!

What a mystery. And what an ill-tempered prince.

The skate he left behind was no more than a large bone with laces

and polished smooth on one side.

Charlotte decided to keep it safe

until she found the person who'd lost it.

She came to a house

where a nervous-looking man was collecting water.

Maybe he would know who had lost a skate.

Excuse me, do you know of anyone who lost an ice skate a couple of

days ago down at the lake?

Um... Yes! Freydis the midwife.

She said she'd lost one.

Could Charlotte really be about to solve the mystery so quickly?

Freydis delivers all the babies around here.

-Looking after my Hildy, she is.

-Bjorn! Who are you talking to?

Come inside!

She says our baby won't come for a while yet so off she flew over

the fjords to Alma's. She'll be glad to get this back.

But I thought the ice was melting?

So it is. But as long as there is enough ice,

then that's the quickest way for Freydis to get to Alma's.

-Even on one skate!

-Bjorn!

I'm coming! I'd better go.

-I only hope that Freydis is back in time for my Hilda.

-Bjorn!

If only she had both her skates.

Charlotte realised she had to get the ice skate back to Freydis

as soon as possible. But how?

Wait. How can I get to where Alma lives?

The ice is very treacherous if you don't know what you're doing.

-There must be another way.

-There is.

Up over the peak and down the enormous dreaded valley of Valhalla.

-But you need to be braver than me to face that.

-Bjorn! Bjorn!

Hang on, Hildy, hang on!

What was Charlotte to do?

She might have solved the mystery of the lost skate, but there was still

a mountain to climb and the dreaded slide of Valhalla between Charlotte

and Freydis, the busy midwife.

You look like you're skating across that cake, Charlotte.

It's really tricky. Imagine crossing a real frozen lake!

With just one skate!

Especially if you're in a rush to deliver a baby.

Sounds like a risky business.

What about the dreaded slide of Valhalla, Great-Aunt Lizzie?

-Do you think that sounds daunting?

-Sounds very scary.

But sometimes names can make things

seem more scary than they actually are.

So if it was just a name of a steep slope with a soft landing...

It would be fun!

But we can't forget about Prince Eirik.

We won't. But Freydis really needs that skate to do her job.

So Prince Eirik will be OK to wait, then?

Absolutely. Charlotte couldn't leave

Freydis with just one ice skate, now, could she?

So off went Charlotte in her hat, bag and boots.

Through the pines and spring flowers.

Up and up, Charlotte went.

When she was almost out of breath...

..the path ran out!

There was only one way to get to the bottom.

Charlotte took a deep breath...

Charlotte stood on a rock high above the frozen fjord.

But there was no time to admire the view.

Charlotte had to get that skate to Freydis.

As she trudged on, she heard a strange grating sound.

What on earth could it be?

Excuse me, I'm looking for Freydis the midwife.

-She's lost a skate.

-I know! So I made her a new one.

She said she'd pick it up tomorrow.

-You made one?

-Just finished it. To replace the one she lost.

-I've been trying to catch her up.

-Well, you'll not catch her now.

See?

They lit the fire for Alma's new baby.

Freydis will be on her way back across the fjord.

-Straight back to the village to see Hilda.

-Oh, no!

Charlotte began to think she had been all that way for nothing!

Luckily, Ingrid had an idea.

If you take this new skate to the village,

she'd have it ready for tomorrow.

There's always another baby due somewhere.

And then she'd have a spare, if she ever lost it again.

Very good. She depends on those skates,

and we depend on her.

I'm on my way. Goodbye.

-Goodbye.

-Back came Charlotte.

Up and down the mountain

and through the pines and flowers.

It was late in the day when she finally returned to the village.

-Excuse me? Are you Freydis?

-Do I know you?

-I'm Charlotte.

I've been trying to catch you up all day.

Well, I've been a bit busy delivering two lovely babies.

-I've been trying to deliver this.

-Oh, excellent!

-Thank you.

-And I've got your old one, just in case.

Prince Eirik found it.

He saw you skating and he's been searching for you all day.

-Prince Eirik?

-Did someone say my name?

I think I found her.

Well, we don't know until we try the ice skate.

May I?

-It fits!

-Of course it fits.

-It's mine!

-I told you.

Will you marry me...

-What's your name?

-Freydis.

What a beautiful name.

Will you marry me, Freydis?

-No.

-No?

But I'm a prince!

-But I don't even know you.

-Oh, love, so cruel and vile!

But we can go skating, if you like.

-Is it safe?

-As long as you do as I say.

-OK.

-Come on!

-Goodbye, Charlotte.

-Goodbye.

-Thanks.

And that was that. The whole kit and caboodle.

The story of Charlotte And The Viking Ice Skates.

What happened in the end?

Did Freydis and the Prince ever go skating again?

-Yes, they did.

-Did they get married?

No, I'm afraid not. They weren't right for each other.

-Oh! But they became very good friends.

-Friends is good.

Oh, my, is that really the time? Come on, you better get going.

Now, how did they get there? Home time, Charlotte.

-Thanks, Great-Aunt Lizzie!

-Cheery-bye, Charlotte!

-Bye!

-Bye!