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Leslie Melville Special user Blackpool-U.K. 708 Posts |
Last year, I acquired a small and attractive hand-bell; approximately 8 inches high. The bell itself looks rather like the head of a flower (think of a tulip with nine narrow petals with the tips turned out and you'll get the idea). It has a nice gentle, mellow ring and I have been trying to think of a way to use it.
I have come up with the following tale. There is obvious scope for a magical effect but I think I like it just as a story: THE ENGAGEMENT RING. (Pick up bell and give it a shake) For forty-seven years this bell sat on the counter of a haberdashery store. It was placed there to alert the owner of the store that a customer required service. The customer would ring the bell (give it another shake) and out would come a sweet little old lady to supply the required knitting pattern, package of wool, needles, ribbon or whatever. The little old lady in question was a Miss Stapleton. She had run the store for as long as anyone could remember. Dorothy Stapleton was a kindly old soul for whom no one had a bad word. She was a regular church-goer with a heart of gold. But Miss Stapleton, it would seem, had a dark secret. When she had been a young girl, she had a sister, Beryl. Beryl was two years older than Dorothy and the two young women were devoted – until Jack Barlow came on the scene. Jack was a handsome chap and both girls fell for him. But he only had eyes for Beryl and in no time at all, Jack and Beryl were engaged to be married. The wedding was planned for June but on the day before the wedding, Beryl disappeared! No one knew where she could possibly have gone – and then tragically, four days later, her lifeless body was found at the foot of a quarry, five miles from her home! Nobody could think of why she would have gone there or how she might have fallen. But curiously, when Beryl's body was discovered, Jack's engagement ring was missing from her finger. Gossip was rife; had she quarreled with Jack and returned his ring and then in despair thrown herself into the quarry? He said, 'No, they had never had a bad word and were both happily looking forward to their life together'. There appeared to be no suspicion of foul play and the coroner's verdict at the subsequent inquest was 'Accidental death'. There were many mourners at the funeral and the occasion for everyone attending was all very sad. In time, life returned to normal, Jack left the district and word came later that he had married someone in the next town. Dorothy took Beryl's death the hardest and for many months was inconsolable. But then, even she seemed reconciled to life without her beloved sister. She never married and eventually opened her little haberdashery store. I got the story from one of the local residents when I attended, upon Dorothy's death, an auction sale of the shop and fittings. I bought the bell for a modest amount and keep it on my hall table (shake bell again). I love it! But I have to say that I was quite surprised to find, when I got it home, that the clapper, the bit that creates the noise inside the bell, was in fact, a rather old but nice looking diamond engagement ring! (shake the bell). I, of course replaced it with a normal clapper (shake the bell a final time) and recently had the ring valued (show diamond ring in ring box). It's worth a tidy sum! Leslie
Stories....?....That's telling!
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magicnix New user North Eastern CA 51 Posts |
That is a nice little story. You could probably do some magic with a ribbon during the telling of the story and have a ring jump on and off it.
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Canki New user Argentina 14 Posts |
Lovely story. And yes, magic could fit very naturally into it.
Canki
I.B.M. Close-Up Gold Cup Competition Finalist, 2001, Orlando, FL From Argentina (Argentina is not the end of the world... but you can see it from here). |
amerigo Veteran user Can't believe I only have 318 Posts |
Leslie
What a great story. A little mystery a little spooky very tidy ending. I agree with you this is a stand alone piece. Great job as are all the stories on your website. I truly enjoyed it. Amerigo
Magic is Everywhere
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JimbosMagic Inner circle 1334 Posts |
Hi Leslie
I have your book and CD, so no supprise you came up with a great story line. Hope alls well. Jimmy
JIMMY CARLO. KIDabra International Family Entertainer of the Year 2009.
IBM Triple Award Winner. Uk Champion of Comedy Magic. Represented the UK in the United Slapstick Awards on German TV. European Children's Entertainer of the year 2007/8 |
Leslie Melville Special user Blackpool-U.K. 708 Posts |
Thank you gents for your kind words - glad you like the tale, I shall be using it in my 'Terrifying Tales' show at Hallowe'en.
Leslie
Stories....?....That's telling!
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