The Magic Sweater

It was my 7th birthday when granny gifted me an old worn-out purple sweater. I wondered why granny would do so? Didn’t she notice that the sweater was worn out and old-fashioned? Or was it a deliberate act? Let me admit that I was disappointed but didn’t utter a word so as not to hurt granny’s feelings. I stacked it in my cupboard after the party and completely forgot about it after few days.

     

Summer vacations were approaching. I had planned to go camping in the forest with my besties. Mom packed my bag and the next day, we set out. While we were on the way, unexpectedly, it started raining cats and dogs! We wondered how the weather forecast could go wrong! We were not prepared for the rain and were not carrying any rainwear and umbrellas! 

As soon as we reached the site, we quickly got into our tents. We were soaked to the bone! I started unpacking my bag to look for dry clothes. As I unpacked, I found the sweater gifted by granny in the folds of my nightwear. Compared to the other clothes in my bag, it was dry. I quickly wore it wondering how it got stuck there. All through these days, it had only been gathering dust in my cupboard. But at the moment, it was no less than a lifesaver! 

 I wished that I could have some hot soup. And that’s when I heard someone calling my name. I peeped out of the tent. There stood an old man standing with a bowl of soup. I quickly grabbed it without asking any questions. I felt warm after having the soup and dozed off in no time.

The next morning, the rain had stopped. I thought of thanking the old man but couldn’t find him anywhere. I told my friends about the old man and the soup but they didn’t believe me and said that I must have been dreaming. But I was confident that it wasn’t a dream. After a while, I got busy with camping activities that I completely forgot about the incident. It was a fun-filled day. By the end of the day, we all were so tired that we slept like a log! 

The next day, we returned home. The weather was changing. Mornings and evenings were slightly cold. I somehow had started liking the sweater by now and some days I would wear it. One day it was my turn to clean the attic. This was one task that I had never liked. Unwillingly, I went up to the attic. It was full of dust. I was wearing my old purple sweater that day. I was feeling a little lazy. I said to myself, “I wish that the attic would clean itself up!” And to my surprise, it did! It was all cleaned up! I didn’t even have to move a muscle! It struck me now that something is magical and made me recall the other mysterious incidents. I realized that one thing that was common was the sweater! I was wearing it during all these incidents! So, I thought of putting it to a test. “I wish that I have a chocolate!” I said. And there, right in front of me was chocolate! But I needed some more proof. Looking outside the window, I wished that the red rose would blossom. And voila! There it stood smiling. Now I was sure that the sweater had some magic! 

I rushed downstairs to find my granny. She was sitting in her favorite chair, knitting a scarf. She looked calm and serene like an angel. She looked at me and smiled. I was almost panting. But before I could say anything, she started, “Now that you know that this sweater can fulfill all your wishes, you have to be very careful. Use it only for helping the needy. The sweater will lose its magic if you’ll ever use it for harming anyone or for your greed. I know that you are a responsible and kind girl who always helps others. Keep it safe with you and never let it fall into the wrong hands.” 

I nodded my head and hugged her. “You are the best granny!”, I said. 

Since that day, the purple old worn-out sweater has been the most cherished gift in my life. It’s a true treasure!