0:00:06 > 0:00:10'Here they come, my two intrepid explorers,
0:00:10 > 0:00:12'Charlotte and Lokesh.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15'I'm their Great-Aunt Lizzie, you see, and I wonder,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18'which one is coming to see me today?'
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Your turn!
0:00:20 > 0:00:23'Ah, so it's Charlotte!'
0:00:23 > 0:00:26- Hello, Charlotte. - Hello, Great-Aunt Lizzie.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Once upon a time, I travelled the world,
0:00:35 > 0:00:39discovering treasures from long ago and far away,
0:00:39 > 0:00:43and no end of stories to remind me.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47But my most precious possession of all
0:00:47 > 0:00:51is my extraordinary collection of teacups.
0:01:04 > 0:01:05Here we are!
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Your time to count the clouds.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Let's have a nice cup of tea and a story.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14But first, we need the teacup.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17But which one?
0:01:30 > 0:01:32That one!
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Ah! The jade ear ornaments.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38What a pretty pair!
0:01:40 > 0:01:43A sweet choice for a sweet story.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47Made to look like a most delicate flower.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Which reminds me -
0:01:49 > 0:01:51must keep these fresh for later.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55What's an ear ornament? Is it a type of earring?
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Shall we find out? Shall I tell you the story
0:01:58 > 0:02:04- of Charlotte And The Adventure Of The Ear Ornaments?- Yes, please.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07It all began long, long ago in Central America,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11where the Mayan people built cities of stone and where rivers ran deep
0:02:11 > 0:02:16into the most sumptuous rainforest Charlotte had ever seen.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40The lush canopy teemed with plants
0:02:40 > 0:02:44and millions of blooms like nowhere else on Earth.
0:02:44 > 0:02:50Charlotte was collecting flower specimens when she heard a voice.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54HE CHANTS IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:02:54 > 0:02:56There was a man chanting
0:02:56 > 0:02:59as he arranged little bags of coffee beans.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04CHANTING CONTINUES
0:03:04 > 0:03:09And after every few bags, the man placed a stick on the ground.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15CHANTING CONTINUES
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Charlotte came forward, curious.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28- Excuse me!- Ooh! Where did you come from?
0:03:28 > 0:03:31- I'm so sorry. - I'm doing counting.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34I always get carried away when I'm counting.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38- Hoo.- Charlotte.- Hoo's my name, just like the number.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Hun, caa, ox, can, hoo.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Perfect for a mathematician like me! Just a moment.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Hun, caa, ox.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Hun, caa, ox.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57I teach people about numbers.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02So, every stick means five bags.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05And a stone equals one.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09You can draw them, too, but I find sticks and stones are better.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12I've been saving bags of coffee beans to trade
0:04:12 > 0:04:16for something extra special for my friend Lahca's birthday.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20- Is it a special birthday? - No... Yes... I mean...
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Not especially special,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25unless you think Lahca's especially special,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28in which case her birthday would, I suppose,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31be extra special on the account of it being hers.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34And do you think she's especially special?
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Well, Lahca likes numbers,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40and that makes her special to me.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44I'm going to run out of sticks.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47- You wouldn't mind getting me some more, would you?- Sure.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52Could you look after these for me? Be as quick as I can.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55And so Charlotte went about gathering sticks which,
0:04:55 > 0:05:00on account of it being the middle of the jungle, didn't take long.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Meanwhile, Hoo was so busy counting,
0:05:03 > 0:05:07he didn't notice when his favourite person appeared.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10- Can I help?- Lahca!
0:05:10 > 0:05:13- Ow!- Hoo, are you all right? I'm so sorry!
0:05:13 > 0:05:17- I didn't mean to frighten you. - What brings you down this way?
0:05:17 > 0:05:20We weren't going to count numbers today, were we?
0:05:20 > 0:05:22No. Today is my birthday,
0:05:22 > 0:05:27so I went to buy maize to make sweetcorn bread for my whole family.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31- I'll bring you some later, if you like.- Today is your birthday?
0:05:31 > 0:05:36- That's right. - No, your day sign is the rabbit?
0:05:36 > 0:05:38The flower.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Ah, the flower!
0:05:40 > 0:05:41Today!
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Charlotte could plainly see that this meeting wasn't going well
0:05:45 > 0:05:49for Hoo so, at the mention of flowers, she had an idea.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51You must be Lahca.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Hoo, did you give Lahca the flowers?
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Flowers?
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Thank you.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05They're beautiful.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07SHE SNEEZES
0:06:07 > 0:06:10- You don't like them? - Oh, no, I love them.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Flowers are my absolute favourite thing.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14SHE SNEEZES
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Only they don't really like me very much.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20SHE SNEEZES
0:06:20 > 0:06:24- I'm sorry. I must go and wash my face.- I'm sorry,- I didn't...
0:06:24 > 0:06:28Don't worry. I'll come back later and I'll bring some corn bread.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31SHE SNEEZES
0:06:31 > 0:06:34No, no, no!
0:06:34 > 0:06:36I thought her birthday was next week!
0:06:36 > 0:06:40What sort of mathematician am I?
0:06:40 > 0:06:44- I can't believe I've missed it! - But you haven't missed it.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47There's still some time to go to the market and trade something
0:06:47 > 0:06:52- for your bags of coffee beans. - No. I have lessons all afternoon.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54I'm sorry about the flowers.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Don't be.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58I didn't know. How could you?
0:07:00 > 0:07:05Born on the day of the flower and allergic to flowers!
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Such bad luck!
0:07:07 > 0:07:11Charlotte had expected helping Hoo to be as easy
0:07:11 > 0:07:15as one, two, three but it wasn't even lunchtime and, already,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Charlotte's problems were multiplying.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23Looks like it'll take more than counting to solve Hoo's troubles.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26Hun,
0:07:26 > 0:07:28caa,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31ox,
0:07:31 > 0:07:32can,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34and hoo.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Very good, Charlotte!
0:07:36 > 0:07:40I can't imagine getting flowers and not being able to enjoy them.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Lots of people are allergic to flowers.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46But now Hoo has nothing to give Lahca for her birthday.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49She'll have other birthdays, I suppose.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53But it isn't fair. He saved so hard to get her something special.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55I think he "likes her" likes her!
0:07:55 > 0:07:58I think you may be right.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Well, if Hoo can't go to the market, Charlotte should.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03What should she get?
0:08:03 > 0:08:07Lahca loves flowers but they make her sneeze.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10There's more than one way to crack a nut, Charlotte.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Perhaps if she takes some of Hoo's coffee beans,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16she might be able to find something in the shape of a flower.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20- Lahca's birthday isn't over yet! - And Charlotte couldn't stand by
0:08:20 > 0:08:23and have them both disappointed now, could she?
0:08:31 > 0:08:35So off went Charlotte in her hat, bag and boots.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Through the darkening rainforest...
0:08:42 > 0:08:45..and south to the Mayan Highlands.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54When she was almost out of breath...
0:08:54 > 0:08:57the path ran out!
0:09:00 > 0:09:04There was only one way to get to the other side.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08Charlotte took a deep breath.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43At last, in the mighty forested mountains,
0:09:43 > 0:09:48Charlotte came to a spectacular city of stone.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52But she had no time to gaze in wonder.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57Charlotte had to find something for Lahca before her birthday was over.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01She found the market soon enough.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04But then she didn't know where to begin.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08Excuse me, I wanted to buy something special for a friend.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Then you want jade stone, Miss.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15- That's special.- Don't suppose you have anything shaped like a flower?
0:10:15 > 0:10:17I could do better than that - two flowers!
0:10:17 > 0:10:20A pair of jade ear ornaments.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Charlotte was awestruck at the pale green stone
0:10:23 > 0:10:25and the delicate flower pattern.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29- They're beautiful but what are they for?- For wearing, of course!
0:10:29 > 0:10:33You put them in the holes in your ears.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36This gift, is it for a Mayan woman?
0:10:36 > 0:10:38- Then she'll like them. - I'll take them.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41How many bags of coffee beans would you like to trade?
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Oh, I don't do prices. This is my wife's store.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Come back later this afternoon when she's here.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51This counting malarkey, it's all a mystery to me.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54But as Charlotte looked at the store,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58all those lines and circles suddenly made sense!
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Hang on! I can read this.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03- You can count? - Yes.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06One stick is like five stones.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08May I?
0:11:09 > 0:11:14Hun, caa, ox, can, hoo.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16It's the same as one stick.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Hun, caa,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25ox, can,
0:11:25 > 0:11:27hoo.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30That sounds about right.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Here you go.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38- She's going to love those! - I hope so.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Thank you. Goodbye.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Back came Charlotte...
0:11:50 > 0:11:53..down from the Highlands...
0:11:53 > 0:11:55and back through the forest.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07She arrived just in time.
0:12:07 > 0:12:12Charlotte, look! Lahca's brought us freshly baked corn bread.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15- Did you get...? - Yeah.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17For the birthday girl.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- Hoo! - It was a joint effort.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Jade! Hoo, this is too much!
0:12:25 > 0:12:28- Not at all! - Shaped like flowers, too!
0:12:28 > 0:12:33- But they won't make you sneeze. - People might take me for a princess!
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Some people already take you for a princess.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Oh, what a day!
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Corn bread, good company
0:12:43 > 0:12:47and a very special birthday gift.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49May I?
0:12:52 > 0:12:55And that was that, the whole birthday business,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Charlotte and the jade ear ornaments.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01- The jade ear ornaments were very special.- They were.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04I suspect Hoo and Lahca will be seeing a lot more of each other
0:13:04 > 0:13:08- from now on.- It was lucky Charlotte found out how to count in Mayan,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11otherwise she wouldn't have been able to get anything.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15- You never know when you're going to need your numbers.- I guess not.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19Goodness! Where does the time go? Come on, Charlotte. Tick-tock!
0:13:25 > 0:13:29Now, how did they get there?
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Home time, Charlotte.
0:13:36 > 0:13:41- Thanks, Great-Aunt Lizzie. - Cheery bye, Charlotte!- Bye!