Little Brown Jug

LITTLE BROWN JUG
'Oh mum, I can't think of anything at all. Twelve objects to go in one
story - it's impossible.'

'Claire, it's not that difficult. And you wanted to expand your ideas
before going off to Uni.'

'Perhaps, but none of the things relate to one another.'

'Of course they do, you just have to think of weird and wonderful
situations to put them in.'

'Mum, that axe head points to a murder mystery and won't go with the
cushion'.

'No, it doesn't. The axe head can go with the three fossils and
driftwood quite easily.'

'I don't want to write a murder mystery, and how can you fit a cushion
in with driftwood?'

'Well, what else is on the list that could go with the cushion?'

'Nothing, there's even a picture that doesn't fit in'.

'What sort of picture?'

'I think it's embroidered.'

'Well then, the embroidery goes with the cushion.'

'You're daft, and you've only used seven objects, there's another five
to think about.'

'Give me one then.'

'Candlestick.'

'Ah, well the candlestick was bought as a gift and the person doing the
needlework keeps it near when embroidering to give thoughts of times
past when ladies used candlelight to sew by.'

'Not bad, what about the aspirin.'

'That's one you need after you've tried putting this story
together.'

'Very smart, I suppose you would cook the egg for breakfast?

'Depends what sort of egg it is, the fossil hunter could find it in the
desert.'

'What fossil hunter?'

'You said there was an axe head and some fossils, I said they could go
together, so that gives me a fossil hunter.'

'Well there's still two items left.'

'Really? This isn't easy is it?'

'No, I told you that in the beginning. There's a small, tiny jug and
half a playing card.'

'Half a playing card is easy. That's been torn in two by the fossil
hunter who has given it to the person who stays at home embroidering.
When he doesn't write home she goes in search of him and finds his
hotel. Then
she makes enquiries to find out what's happened to him and leaves the
other half of the playing card in an envelope with a message written on
it at the hotel, so that he knows who its from when he returns.'

'Very romantic, and the little jug?'

'When they are reunited in the hotel room, there's wine cooling in the
jug and they celebrate his discoveries.'

'Neat but too sickly. And the jug is too small for that'.

'Well make it bigger then. You go off and remember all that to write up
whilst I get on with my work.'

'I taped it mum whilst we were talking and I'm going to read it out to
my computer and let that write it up for me, so can I have that egg for
my lunch now?'

'Huh, it won't come out that easily. What are you going to call
it?'

'Little Brown Jug.'