Spindle Whorl 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?

Ah, so it's Lokesh.

Hello, great-aunt Lizzie!

Hello, Lokesh!

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 a teacup.

But which one?

That one.

Ah!

The spindle whorl.

What's a spindle whorl?

It's a clever tool for turning fleecy wool into thread.

Have you been baking, great-aunt Lizzie?

Well, there might be a little something, Lokesh. We'll see.

So, are you ready for me to spin a yarn about Lokesh and the adventure

of the spindle whorl?

It all began long, long ago in a place we now call Central America,

where one of the greatest civilisations built cities and

pyramids that rose up into the sky.

They were the Maya.

After journeying deep through the heart of the jungle,

Lokesh found himself at the edge of a city.

As he meandered through the streets,

he began to hear the sound of a disagreement.

You can't go with your hair like that!

Mum, everyone has their hair like this.

You don't have to do what everyone else is doing, do you?

If you saw someone jump out of a tree, would you do it?

-Mum, it's just hair.

-My sweet baby.

Mum, I'm not a baby any more.

Akbal, it's your special day,

your independence ceremony.

I want you to look perfect.

Now, let me see.

My sweet baby.

Mum!

What? You'll always be my sweet baby. I can't help it.

Now, please, take your hand away so I can see your poncho properly.

The other one, too.

What's with the flower?

Just...

I like flowers.

Hmm.

It looks weird.

And don't tell me everyone is wearing a flower, too.

Akbal, why didn't you tell me you had a hole in your poncho?

Because I'm not a baby any more.

Take it off and I'll fix it.

I don't have time, Mum.

You can't show up to the most important day of your life

with a hole in your poncho.

Mum, I don't have time! I've got lots to do!

-Leave it and I'll fix it for you.

-I've got to go.

-I'll see you before the ceremony.

-Akbal!

You see that?

I cannot let Akbal go to his independence ceremony with a hole

in his poncho. I have to fix it before tonight.

-How would you mend a hole like that?

-Oh, it shouldn't be too difficult.

I just need to dye some wool with the right colour

and get my spindle...

Oh, no!

What good is a spindle without a spindle whorl?

I forgot I lent it to my neighbour

and I don't have time to fetch it back from her and dye the wool!

I can help if you like.

That would be great.

Iktan's hut is just around the corner. Tell her I sent you.

I'll be as quick as I can.

Thank you.

As he approached Iktan's hut,

a surprise awaited him.

Excuse me?

This is who they sent to carry all the food for the ceremony?

-Go back and tell them we need ten like you!

-What?

No, I'm here for the spindle whorl.

Oh, that you can definitely carry by yourself.

Wait a minute, what spindle whorl?

The one Yatzel lent you.

She really needs it so she can fix a hole in Akbal's poncho

before the ceremony tonight.

Oh, no. I'm really sorry, I dropped it and broke it days ago.

I wanted to replace it, but I haven't seen a wool trader in town.

Would anybody else have one?

There's a trader who lives in the mountains, Moolac.

He'll have a cartful.

I'm so sorry, I really want to help sort it out,

but, right now, I have to cook all the food for the ceremony.

It wasn't even lunchtime

and what had seemed like a simple patch-up to help Yatzel

mend the poncho had all come to nothing.

Mmm!

These smell lovely.

-Would you like one, Lokesh?

-Home-made scones?

I'd eat them any day!

Even if it was your birthday?

No, it has to be birthday cake on a birthday.

We all like to have special food for a special day, don't we?

That's why Iktan was preparing food for the ceremony.

Everyone will be there.

So that's why Yatzel was making such a fuss about the hole

-in Akbal's poncho, too.

-Exactly.

And to think she had no idea her spindle whorl was broken!

-But there was no way she could mend the hole without it.

-You're right.

So, Lokesh couldn't give up trying to get a new spindle whorl

for Yatzel, now, could he?

So off went Lokesh in his hat, bag and boots.

Past the ruined temple...

..and up the rocky trail...

..until, when he was almost out of breath...

..the path ran out!

Lokesh took a deep breath.

DRIPPING

BATS SQUEAK, WINGS FLUTTER

Lokesh reached a high plateau,

where a city hid among the mountain tops.

But there was no time to admire the view.

Lokesh had to get that spindle whorl.

Excuse me, do you have a spindle whorl, by any chance?

Well, yes.

I usually have a cartload, but I'm down to my last one today.

-That's great, I'll take it!

-Fantastic, but not today.

-Come back tomorrow.

-Tomorrow?

-Yes.

I'm using it today, as you can see.

Lokesh couldn't wait a whole day.

I must have it today.

It's Akbal's independence ceremony.

He's got a hole in his poncho and his mum has to mend it.

Look, it's my son's birthday tomorrow

and I really wanted to surprise him with a new poncho.

I don't know how much wool I need, so I prefer to keep

the spindle whorl close by.

-Excuse me?

-Yes?

Could you ask him to come over so you can take his measurements?

Well, I could, but then that would spoil the surprise.

-I know...!

-Listen, I really need to finish the poncho by tomorrow

and I've only just started!

How big is he?

Could you take my measurements instead?

-Your measurements?

-Yes!

You two could be about the same size, that's true.

And if I do that for you,

you promise me you'll go and let me finish what I'm doing?

It's a deal.

And so the wool trader measured Lokesh for the poncho.

And when he was absolutely certain he had all the wool he needed,

Lokesh held the rough little stone circle in the palm of his hand.

There was a hole right through the middle, like a tiny doughnut.

Thank you.

Happy spinning.

Bye!

Bye-bye.

Back came Lokesh.

Down the rocky trail...

..and past the ruined temple.

He arrived back at Yatzel's hut just in time.

I've got it!

You're back!

Iktan told me how she broke the old one.

Thank you so much.

Now I have the wool in the right colour, I just need to spin a little

thread and we'll mend this hole in no time.

Mum, what are you doing? We need to go!

I just want to quickly mend your poncho.

Leave it, Mum! It's fine!

It's not fine and it will take me two minutes, so please stand still.

There you go.

Now that looks better, don't you think?

You see? Sometimes you need to listen to your mother,

-even when you're independent.

-Thanks, Mum. It looks great.

You are a man now, Akbal.

But remember, you are never too old to ask for your mother's help.

Or your friends'.

Now, let's all go to the ceremony.

May I?

So that was that. The whole kit and caboodle.

The story of Lokesh and the spindle whorl.

Fixing the hole was so important to Yatzel.

That story made me think about my mother. I miss her.

Was she like Yatzel?

Yes. However old I got, she'd still do my hair and tell me to wash

my hands before dinner, and tuck my shirt in and not forget my umbrella

-because it was going to rain.

-That sounds like my mum, too!

Well, parents will always be parents, I suppose.

But it's good to know someone's looking out for you.

I think that's how Akbal really felt when his mother mended his poncho.

Exactly. Goodness me, is that the time?

Come on, your Auntie Claire'll be here soon.

Now, how did that get there?

Home time, now, Lokesh.

-Thanks, great-aunt Lizzie!

-Cheery-bye, Lokesh!

-ALL:

-Bye!