Cowrie Shells Teacup Travels


Cowrie Shells

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Here they come,

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my two intrepid explorers...

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Oh!

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Charlotte and Lokesh.

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I'm their Great Aunt Lizzie, you see,

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

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Ah, so it's Charlotte!

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Hello, Charlotte.

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Hello, Great Aunt Lizzie.

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Once upon a time, I travelled the world,

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discovering treasures from long ago and far away, and no end of stories

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to remind me.

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But my most precious possession of all

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is my extraordinary collection of teacups.

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Here we are!

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No time to count the clouds!

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

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But first, we need the teacup.

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But which one?

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-That one!

-Ah!

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The cowrie shell.

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-Isn't it pretty?

-Yes, it is.

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These little shells were very valuable in Viking times.

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In fact, for years, many people all over the world used

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-the cowrie shells instead of money.

-Wow!

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So, are you ready?

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Ready.

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Then let me tell you the story of Charlotte and

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the Adventure of the Cowrie Shells.

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This story begins in a little village huddled next to a

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freezing lake in a sparkling, cold

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northern region we now call Scandinavia.

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And it was there, among the tiny houses,

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that Charlotte turned up one bright morning.

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And even though she'd only just arrived,

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Charlotte could sense an air of excitement in the village.

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-Oh, the juice!

-The first person Charlotte came across was a

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young woman who seemed to be preparing for some kind of feast.

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I'm sure I've forgotten something, but I've no idea what!

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I want his homecoming to be just perfect, but what if it isn't?

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She appeared very distracted and flitted from one thing to another.

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Excuse me! I wonder if you need some help.

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What? Oh, yes, thank you.

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I don't seem to be able to concentrate on anything.

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The men from our village are coming home, you see.

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It's very exciting!

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This time, my brother, Gulbrand, will be with them.

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Has your brother been away?

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It was his first time away at sea,

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and even though I'm looking forward to him coming back,

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I'm worried. The men are two days late already.

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-Oh, dear.

-I've been preparing this table every day, and then each night

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I put it all away again.

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I'm sure there's lots of reasons they could be late.

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-Do you think so?

-Well, at sea lots of things can happen.

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-There could have been a storm...

-Oh, no!

-But probably not.

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They could have decided to stay somewhere longer.

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I just hope Gulbrand is OK.

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-I'm sure he's strong.

-One of the strongest.

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-And clever?

-Very clever.

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Then there's every chance he'll be home really soon.

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I hope so. In the meantime,

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perhaps I need to be grateful for everything we have here and

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hopeful for my brother's swift homecoming.

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I know! We can make an offering of thanks to one of the goddesses.

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The only trouble is, which one?

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There are so many to choose from!

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And what do I offer them?

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I don't want to get it wrong.

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Maybe you could ask someone.

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Who is the wisest person you know?

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Of course! We could ask Sigrid.

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She is bound to know!

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She's a very wise woman and she knows everything about goddesses.

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Great! You stay here in case your brother comes home

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and I'll go and ask her.

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She lives in a farm by a cave on the side of the mountain.

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I'll be as quick as I can.

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It didn't take Charlotte long to find Sigrid,

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sitting by the cave above her farm, watching the world go by.

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Excuse me. Are you Sigrid?

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-I am.

-Then I wonder if I could ask you something.

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Ask me anything you like, my dear. I'll answer it as well as I can.

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Gull's brother, Gulbrand,

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is supposed to be coming home from sea today but he's late back.

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-Oh, dear.

-Gull wants to make an offering of thanks and hopefulness

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to a goddess but she doesn't know which one.

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So Charlotte sat, hoping to discover something important

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among the legendary Viking goddesses.

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There are many,

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many goddesses but I think the best one to honour would be the

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goddess Freya. She is one of the highest and most powerful goddesses.

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She sounds perfect.

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Do you know, the goddess Freya cries tears of real gold?

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I can't imagine that.

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And she drives a chariot led by two cats.

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That must be cool.

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Gul should have a ceremony and make an offering

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of cowrie shells.

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What are cowrie shells?

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They are very precious and rare little shells

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that come from hot lands far across the sea.

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They would make the perfect offering to Freya.

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Where on earth was Charlotte going to get cowrie shells?

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But as if she'd read her mind, wise Sigrid had an idea.

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The only person I know who has such rare cowrie shells is Afi.

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Who is Afi?

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Someone I knew a long time ago.

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He lives in a little hidden cove by the sea.

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And I have heard people say that now he only speaks in riddles.

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Oh, dear! How was she going to understand a man

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who only spoke in riddles?

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It was only lunchtime and already it was all such a puzzle!

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Look at those beautiful sunflowers.

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-Helianthus annuus is their Latin name.

-They look lovely.

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I got the seeds many years ago on one of my travels.

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So they are from a faraway place too, like the cowrie shells?

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They are.

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You are just like Sigrid, the wise woman in the story.

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That comes from going on so many adventures and meeting so many

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interesting people, just like Sigrid.

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So it's probably best we follow her advice.

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That would be wise, Charlotte.

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She's probably right about Afi and the cowrie shells

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and offering them to the goddess Freya.

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So Charlotte couldn't give up without at least trying to get

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the cowrie shells, could she?

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Off went Charlotte in her hat, bag and boots.

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Through the spiny forests.

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And over rocky, windswept crags.

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When she was almost out of breath...

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..the path ran out!

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

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Charlotte took a deep breath.

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Finally, she came to a cove hidden between some high rocky cliffs.

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But there was no time to take the sea air.

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Charlotte had to get those cowrie shells!

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She ran along the rocks and up to the headland,

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where she found an extraordinary-looking man.

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I'm sorry to bother you, but Sigrid sent me.

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She said you might have some cowrie shells I could have.

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But the man didn't seem to hear her

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and just kept on staring into the distance.

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Charlotte was about to ask again when he began, in a kind of riddle.

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Tell me of Sigrid, by the strength of the wave.

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-Where does she live?

-Charlotte wasn't sure how to answer

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this riddle, so she decided to just say what she knew.

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She lives near a cave.

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The man seemed pleased with her answer and so she went on.

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My friend Gull wants to make an offering of thanks to the

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goddess Freya for what she has and her brother's safe return from sea.

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Again, the man replied with a riddle.

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Tell me of Freya, the goddess of old.

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When she cries, she cries...

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Tears of gold!

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Charlotte seemed to have answered both the riddles correctly.

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Maybe the third would mean he would

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finally give her some precious cowrie shells.

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Tell me her chariot, lest they say that.

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Who pulls it along?

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It must be...

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Charlotte knew she knew it, if she could just remember.

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Cats!

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Here are the shells, as pretty as any.

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I'm only sorry I don't have many.

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The delicate little shells were so pretty and cool

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in colours of white, brown and pink.

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They seemed very precious indeed.

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Go right back with hermit speed,

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taking with you the shells that you need.

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Thank you. Bye!

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Back came Charlotte...

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..in her hat, bag and boots.

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Over barren, windswept hills and through the dense, green ferns.

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Sigrid and Gull were busy decorating a shrine with flowers when...

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I got the cowrie shells!

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Thank you so much, Charlotte.

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I had to finish a lot of riddles with Afi, but I got them right.

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I'm sure you did.

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With these cowrie shells, I give thanks to the goddess Freya

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in the hope that soon she will return my brother safely.

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-MAN: Hello!

-It's the men!

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-They're back!

-They're back from the sea.

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-Sister!

-Brother!

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Welcome home!

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These are my friends, Sigrid and Charlotte.

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They helped me honour the goddess Freya.

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Thank you.

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You're very welcome.

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I've got a present for you, Gull.

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It's a conch shell. I got it from a beautiful little island that I left

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many months ago. I've carried it with me ever since.

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I've never seen anything like it!

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-Thank you.

-It's beautiful.

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It belongs here, next to the cowrie shells,

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as thanks for my brother's swift return.

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May I?

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That was that, the whole kit and caboodle.

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Charlotte and the cowrie shells.

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Do you think it worked, making the offering to the goddess Freya?

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What I do know is,

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it's always good to be grateful for what we have and to

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remember how lucky we are.

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I'm very lucky to have you to visit me.

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And I'm very lucky to have such a wise great-aunt who can tell me

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stories any day of the week.

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So, tell me, Charlotte,

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what day of the week do we still remember Freya?

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I don't know.

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Think about it.

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-Friday?

-Absolutely right!

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Oh, goodness me! Is that the time?

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Come on! Your mum will be here in a minute.

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Now, how did those get there?

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Home time, Charlotte.

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-Thanks, Great Aunt Lizzie.

-Cheery-bye, Charlotte.

-Bye!

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