Inro 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 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.

It's a Japanese inro.

That is a very special type of Japanese case.

It has lots of hidden compartments inside

and there's a great story hiding in there, too.

-Have you been baking, Aunt Lizzie?

-Maybe.

But it won't be ready for some time yet.

In the meantime, shall I tell you the tale

-of Charlotte and the adventure of the two identical inro?

-Yes, please.

Our story begins hundreds of years ago,

in the beautiful islands of Japan,

the land of the rising sun.

After journeying for days through forests and mountains,

Charlotte found herself in a small, picturesque town

near the Sea of Japan.

From a distance, she could hear someone calling out...

-Exchange! Exchange!

-So, she decided to follow the voice...

-Exchange! Exchange!

-..until she came to a market stall

crammed with extraordinary things she had never seen before.

Exchange!

Ah.

What can I offer you today, my dear writer?

The finest paper?

A bag with compartments?

Perhaps, a new brush?

I just received one so good it will make you...blush.

I've got a brush myself to swap, actually.

Right now, I am looking for some ink.

Deal. Could you come closer, please?

I think you have something... in your ear! Ta-da.

-ALL LAUGH

-Ah! Bravo!

The writer squirreled away a dark brown piece of ink

in an ornately decorated black container, his inro.

And what can I offer you today, Chef Machi?

Some herbs, roots?

Exotic fruits?

I will have this miso paste.

Oh, this is a very fine miso paste

made by the one and only Chiyo.

Oh, Chiyo! Of course, I knew it was good.

Would you be interested in swapping it with some shiso leaves?

-HE CLICKS HIS FINGERS

-Always.

Chef Machi's inro was identical in every way

and the dense miso paste looked almost exactly like the ink.

Can I offer you some fresh cherries?

-A treat for my very best customers.

-Oh!

Those two identical cases lay side by side.

-Mmm!

-Mmmm!

Mother Nature's recipes are always the best.

Apart from those created by Chef Machi.

Oh, you're too kind.

-It happened so quick.

-Thank you.

But had the writer and the chef accidentally swapped their inro?

-Goodbye.

-Nice doing business with you.

Exchange!

Exchange! Exchange!

Charlotte wasn't certain about the swap.

She thought she'd better tell one of them right away, just in case,

so she followed Chef Machi

back to her kitchen, where she was making some of her famous miso soup.

Pff...

Ugh!

My soup tastes terrible.

-Excuse me.

-Not now.

-I am in the middle of a very big crisis.

-But I think I can...

Kojiro the Samurai is holding a big dinner party tonight

and he has asked me to make him my famous soup.

Me! Do you understand? Do you know how important this is?

It is a great honour for a chef, a great honour,

but now my soup tastes like rotten bananas and pickled tomatoes!

-I think it's because of the ink.

-What? What ink?

-At the market,

you and the writer had two identical inros

and I think they got mixed up when you tasted the cherries.

You're right. This is not my special miso paste!

Oh! Now I have to start the soup all over again

and, still, I don't have my special miso paste.

I could help. I could take the inro

and swap it back again with the writer.

Oh! Yes. That would be kind.

She passed her the inro. It was beautiful.

Made of mirror-black lacquered wood

and decorated with golden feathers and shells.

Thank you so much.

I'll be as quick as I can.

But where on earth would Charlotte find the writer now?

She headed back to the trader to pick up his trail.

When she got there, she wasn't the only one who had returned.

This ink is completely useless! I demand to have my brush back.

It is good ink - I tried it myself.

I'm telling you, no matter how many times I write with it,

it keeps fading away.

I have a very important speech to write before tonight.

I cannot afford to waste a moment more.

Excuse me, I think I have your inro and your ink is inside.

If that's my inro then whose inro is this?

You must have got your inro mixed up with Chef Machi's inro.

That means you're writing with...

Miso paste.

Thank you. The only trouble is,

in my many attempts to write with the miso paste, I used it all up.

-I'm so sorry.

-Oh, dear, I only have the ordinary miso left.

If you need the good stuff, the only thing I can suggest

is you go see Chiyo on the other side of the mountains.

Was it even possible to get across the mountains and back again

in time for the Samurai's dinner party?

It was only lunchtime and already it was so complicated.

Mm! It smells delicious.

It looks amazing.

-Would you like a piece? It's my special recipe.

-Yes, please.

-What about Chef Machi's special recipe?

-Her soup, you mean?

Well, it wouldn't taste the same without miso paste.

The trader does have some ordinary miso.

Chef Machi really needs her special miso,

so that it's perfect for the party, for Kojiro the Samurai.

She can't disappoint him.

I think you're right. If it was me, I wouldn't mess with the Samurai.

-That would be a terrible idea.

-It would!

So, Charlotte couldn't go back

without trying to find the special miso paste now, could she?

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

Along the seashore...

..and up the rocky mountains.

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.

WHOOMPH!

Safely across,

Charlotte emerged into the dazzling light on top of the mountain.

There was no time to admire the view,

Charlotte had to get that special miso paste for the chef.

Soon, she came to a little house surrounded by cartloads of barrels,

the home of Chiyo the miso maker.

Excuse me, may I have a little bit of your special miso paste?

You may, but you will have to wait a little while.

-How long?

-12 months.

-A whole year?

Charlotte couldn't wait a whole year! Chef Machi needed it tonight.

I only need a little bit.

Maybe you have some left from an old batch?

-I'm afraid not.

-Chef Machi really needs it for tonight.

The great Chef Machi sent you?

Why didn't you say so?

Of course I can find some miso for Chef Machi.

I always keep a bit of our special blend just for her.

It will make her soup taste so good

that all her guests will start singing and dancing.

There you go.

Thank you.

Back came Charlotte

in her hat, bag and boots.

Down the rocky mountains and along the seashore.

She arrived back in time,

very much to the relief of a very nervous chef.

-I've got it.

-And she was just in time.

Ah, Chef Machi.

Can I finally try your famous soup that everyone's been talking about?

Please, let me just add one more thing before you do -

my secret ingredient.

Wonderful.

The best soup I have ever tasted.

And fine work on my speech, too.

Excellent work, all of you.

Let the dinner party begin!

-Thank you. You have saved my soup!

-And my speech.

We just make sure we don't get these mixed up again!

THEY LAUGH

May I?

And that was that, the whole kit and caboodle,

the tale of Charlotte and the two identical inro.

I bet the soup was delicious. I wish I could try it myself.

-So do I.

-And I wish I had an inro, as well.

-What would you put in it?

-A small notebook and some pencils.

-And some marbles, maybe?

Yes, and hairpins and stickers...

And some miso paste?

Only the best, of course!

Oh, my, is that really the time?

Come on! We have to get going.

Now, how did that get there?

Home time, Charlotte.

-Thanks, Great Aunt Lizzie.

-Cheery-bye, Charlotte.

-Bye!