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Ebony Stick.

The journey to London with the train usually takes twenty-five minutes, today it seemed to be much longer, A Lady sitting opposite me asked me if the train was late as she had an appointment at one of the big London Hospitals. Looking at my watch, I saw that we were on time. “ No need to worry; “ I said “ We are on time and should be in Charring Cross by ten thirty. The woman thanked me and looked out of the train window. I had done the journey many times, as I liked to look around the old shops where second hand articles were for very little money to be had, I have many curiosities at my home that I have at one time or another bought in London. The train arrived on time and I stepped down onto the platform and made my way out on to the street. Walking to the shops in Soho was no problem and I slowly made my way to a shop that sold all kinds of curious things. I have often been to this shop and the owner knows me. He sometimes puts real curious things by for me to look at.

As I entered the shop he greeted me with his usual smile and went to a shelf where took down a cardboard box. Handing the box to me he said, ”This came in last week I thought that you might be interested.” I opened the cardboard box and inside was a curiously carved stick. The stick was of ebony wood and it appeared to be quite old. It was some eight inches long and a curling motive going right around the stick fascinated me. I wondered what it was supposed to represent. I could see no use for it except perhaps as an ornament. I bought the stick from the shopkeeper and putting it in my pocket I wandered around Soho, had a meal in a Public House and walked back to Charring Cross railway station. I was lucky, a train going to Dartford was waiting on platform one and I gave my ticket to the man at the barrier and walked to the nearest open door. Boarding the train, I looked and found myself a seat in an empty compartment. The journey home was uneventful and I arrived home at five past four in the afternoon.

Making myself a cup of tea, I opened a tin of Pilchards (Fish in tomatoes sauce) and with some bread and butter; I ate my teatime meal. The ebony stick I had placed on the table and after my tea I took it in my hand and looked at it most carefully. Whoever had carved the stick was an expert and had carved a spiralling motive in the stick. I looked at it for a while and then decided to polish it to get it to shine. Going to where I keep my shoe shining brushes, I took a tin of black shoe polish a cloth and a brush. I spent over and hour first I covered the stick with shoe crème and then with the brush I polished until the stick shone. I finished polishing the stick with a soft rag and placed it on the mantelpiece. I was pleased that it had turned out so well it now gave off a soft glow. Putting the black shoe cream away with the cloth and brush, I washed my hands thoroughly and sat down to watch television.

Glancing at the clock I saw that it was just before eleven. Time to go to bed I thought and turning off the light in the living room I happened to glance at the ebony carved stick. It gave off a curious glow nearly red. I was tired and went to bed without thinking any more about the stick. In the morning after my wash and shave, I went down to the Kitchen to make breakfast. To get to the kitchen I must go through the living room. Here I saw the ebony stick it looked dirty which surprised me after my cleaning it so well the night before. I went to the mantelpiece and saw under the ebony stick a small bar of gold. I was now very curious what had produced the gold. There is no gold lying around in my house. I made myself some breakfast and taking the stick with me I sent a mental picture to Her Majesty Queen Feeanna I wanted her to find out what had produced the gold and why was the ebony stick now so dirty? Going to the clearing where I usually met Her Majesty I sat myself on a tree stump to await her coming. The bright blue flash and the puff of smoke and Her Majesty stood before me. We exchanged greetings and I showed her Majesty the ebony stick and told her about the small bar of gold that had appeared on my mantelpiece under the ebony stick. Her Majesty took from the pocket of her dress the magic mirror and we both looked into the mirror. A scene opened before our eyes. A large African man sat on the ground carving the ebony stick; Her Majesty told me, he was a witchdoctor who had powers of magic. It appears that the man had a son who was very lazy and did not want to work. The witchdoctor carved the stick and while carving, he worked in some magic into the stick. When the witchdoctor died, he left his son just this ebony stick,

The son gave the stick to a man for something to eat. He was very unhappy that his father had not left him wealth and riches. All he had to do was clean the stick every day and a piece of gold would have been his for the rest of his life. Being lazy, he did not think to clean the stick before giving it away for a meal. The new owner passed it on without knowing its secret. Over the years, the stick had passed through many hands without anyone finding its real power. I had cleaned it thoroughly and it had rewarded me with a piece of gold. The Queen Feeanna told me that every time I cleaned the stick my reward would be a piece of gold. I was never to mention its secret powers when I give it away the new owner must find out for him or herself the secret of the carved ebony stick.

I still have the stick and occasionally polish it. I always find a gold bar. If the African witchdoctor’s son had not been so lazy he would have been a very rich man, his father had given him the means but he the son could not take advantage of it.