THE CANDLEABRA

THE CANDLEABRA

 

 Camelia a little young girl, lived with her poor mother Anna. When she was very young, her father had to leave them and go away. Since then he never returned. Camelia would always ask her mother about her father’s whereabouts and her mother Anna would give her vague replies. One day, her mother gave her a cameo locket on which was engraved her father’s name, Wedgewood. Camelia loved to wear the locket around her neck. Though she had never seen her father, Camelia always dreamt of meeting her father once again. Anna earned her living by knitting cardigans and saved whatever little she had for a rainy day.

One day Anna told Camelia, “There seems to be not a single candle in the house, so fetch one today from the market.” As Camelia set out on her way, she saw a caravan and a strange gypsy lady selling her wares, shouting out loud…….

“Come to gypsy Weasel,

And buy her teacups, pots, pans

Saucers, clocks and spoons,

And many other things

Will you find in her cart

To take away home”

Gypsy Weasel was the most ugly looking woman that Camelia had ever seen, ‘cause her weazen face was covered with huge whelks all over. Camelia approached the strange looking gypsy Weasel and asked her, “Dear Gypsy Weasel, do you have a candle stick?” The gypsy Weasel smiled at her, but was rather a querulous woman and she shouted at her yellow canary, “Can-Can,” said she, “Stop singing so loudly” Then she screamed at her black cat, which had the longest ever whiskers that touched the ground. “Withershins”, she said, “Move away from that cart, and let me find this young lady the candelabra.”

It was the most beautiful candlestick that Camelia had ever seen, decorated with gold flowers and silver petals. “Three pennies”, the gypsy Weasel said. Camelia was overjoyed for her mother had given her only three pennies. She gave the gypsy Weasel the three pennies, thanked her and set forth home happily.

Camelia’s mother Anna was very happy to see such a beautiful candlestick and placed the candelabra next to Camelia’s bed. As night fell, before Camelia could kip upon her bed, she blew off the candelabra and fell fast asleep. No sooner did Camelia lay her head on the pillow, than she began to dream. She dreamt she wore a wimple, sat on a camel and passed through a desert. There she saw a huge castle and all the chambermaids rushing in and the gippys rushing out. Then she saw a man wearing the same cameo locket which Camelia wore, running away from the castle carrying a box in his hand.

Next morning, when Camelia woke up she told her mother of her strange dream, but her mother Anna did not believe Camelia. The next night once again before Camelia would kip on her bed, she blew off the candelabra, and then went to sleep. No sooner did Camelia lay her head on the pillow than she dreamt again. This time she dreamt that she was standing on the wharf and watching the goods being carted into the ship. Once

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again Camelia saw the man wearing the same cameo locket taking one of the boxes with him, and fleeing into the ship.

In the morning when Camelia woke up she told her mother of the strange dream, but her mother Anna still did not believe Camelia.

The third night once again before Camelia could kip on her bed, she blew off the candelabra and then went to sleep. No sooner did Camelia lay her head on the pillow, than she dreamt again. This time she dreamt that she was in a carnival and was sitting on a whirligig. Once again Camelia saw the man wearing the same cameo locket in one of the stalls.

This morning Camelia did not tell her mother Anna of her strange dream, but, once again, set out in search of the strange gypsy Weasel. When she saw gypsy Weasel she told the gypsy of her strange dreams and the last dream of the carnival where she sat on a whirligig. Then Camelia told gypsy Weasel, “Dear gypsy Weasel, in each of my dreams I see a man wearing a cameo locket just like the mine, but I could not read what was written on it.” The gypsy Weasel then told Camelia, “Young lady, do not worry, for today I am on my way to the carnival and you may join us too.”

Camellia was thrilled and knew this was her only chance of meeting the man who appeared in her dreams. So she climbed into the caravan and off they went to the carnival.

When they reached the carnival, Camelia ran in every stall and finally found the man who wore the same cameo locket which spelt “Wedgewood”, Camelia cried out in joy, “Whoppee, I found my father at last!” Wedgewood was overjoyed when he learnt that Camelia was his daughter.

Wedgewood then told his daughter his sad story, “I made cameos for a living and had given your mother Anna a cameo locket with my name Wedgewood engraved on it on our wedding day. Unfortunately, I owed Mister Willy Nilly a lot of money, who then wheedled me into leaving my wife and child and going far away into the Egyptian desert, to earn a lot of money.

But Mr. Wily Nily was a crafty old man and had made a deal with the King Weevil. King Weevil was very wicked indeed, who made me slog all night and day, making gold and silver cameos for all his wives. One day I escaped on a ship through the Cape of Good Hope and took with me in a box a few of the precious cameos. I then came to this carnival to sell them and make some money, but I am very remorseful for being such a whipper-snapper and cannot face my wife Anna again.”

Camelia persuaded her father to come home to her mother Anna and told him about the magic candelabra which made her dream, strange dreams about him and finally brought her to him. Wedgewood was overjoyed that his daughter forgave him and together they went with gypsy Weasel, her canary Can-Can and her cat Whithershins in her caravan homewards.

When Anna saw her husband Wedgewood, she was greatly awed and forgave him. Camelia, her mother Anna and father Wedgewood lived happily, thanks to gypsy Weasel and her magic candelabra!