By Janette
(Janette Biddulph (66) studied at Wynberg Allen in Mussoorie and worked as a warden for 20 years in Reputed School (e.g) Mamta Modern Secondary High School (Delhi), Raja Ram Mohan Roy Academy (Dehradun), Pestle Weed Collage (Dehradun), Col Brown School, Cambridge School (Dehradun) She began writing for children in 1977. She has been living in Dehradun since 1958).
We are a family of six, Mother, Father, three sisters and one brother. I, Joyce am the eldest and have to look after my brother and sister. We go to a school nest to our home. I am in Class VII, sister June in Class IV, Jennifer in Class III and brother William in Class II. I have to help them with their homework and also keep them out of trouble, which isn’t easy, I can assure you. I did as much of the housework as I could; so as to give Mom more time for her knitting; for with the farming Dad did and the knitting Mom did, we just managed to survive.
One evening, an old lady named Pamela came with some very pretty blue wool and asked Mom, "Lady will you please knit me a shawl; but I cannot pay you as I am very poor." My mom looked at her clothes and asked. "May I call you by your name?" The Old Lady nodded and mom took the wool from her and said, "If you will come back in one week’s time your shawl shall be ready for you." Mom held the wool out to me and said,
"Take this wool and make it into big balls." The Old Lady halted and said, "Make all the wool into ONE big ball; keep it in a bag while knitting." Smiling at me she left. It being a school, I immediately sat, and started unwrapping and wrapping the wool. Oh! It was so soft that sometimes I would halt and rub the wool against my cheek and wish, "I would love to have a sweater of this wool; but it is our luck to only have the remains of all the wool that the owner does not want back. Sometimes, they gave mom the balance,
especially if it was only a small amount left. Mom would mix all the wools and make us sweaters which were very jazzy. I am not cribbing, for they did really look good as mom matched the colors very well."
That night, mom took the BIG ball of wool; the ball was really quite big; she started knitting the shawl for Pamela, the old lady. Mom’s knitting needles seemed to fly and within two days the shawl was ready. Mom had made the shawl nice and big; it was long and broad so as to cover and protect Pamela from the cold. It was beautifully knitted and mom was happy with the work
Joyce just put this round your shoulders for I want to see how it looks; Oh! It looks lovely on you darling, may be some day I will be able to knit a shawl like this for you. Do you know that I had no difficulty in knitting this shawl, as the wool was so very light, in fact I’d say it was feather weight." I stood for a little longer, then removed the shawl from my shoulders and folded it; and put it away for Pamela. "Joyce, put this wool with the shawl, so that I don’t forget to return it.
Pamela came on the seventh day, mom gave her a cup of tea which she drank; then mom told me, "Joyce go and bring the Shawl for Pamela. I do hope you will like it for I
knitted it in just two days." I brought the shawl along with the remainder wool and handed it to Pamela; who opened it and spread it round her shoulders, then said with a smile, "This has been knitted beautifully, even though I had told you that I couldn’t pay you. I shall tell all my friends to come to you, and they will pay you very well." Pamela got up wearing the shawl and left. I saw the bag containing the wool lying near the chair, I thought, "She does not want this wool." Mom saw me looking at the bag and said, "Joyce go, run and return that wool to her for she may need it, for it is a big ball; I seem to have used hardly any wool , in knitting her shawl." I ran as fast as I could; but at first couldn’t see her, I halted and looked round for her; then I spied her some distance away. I wondered how she could have reached so far in such a short time. I managed to catch up to her and said, "Mam, you left the remaining wool behind, please take it."
She smiled, and put her hand on my head saying, "I left it for you and your family. Tell your mother to first make you a sweater or shawl, then make a cardigan for herself; your younger sister too can have a jersey; then your brothers, but before making anything for your brother and father, she must wash the balance of the wool, while it is still in the water to take the name of any color and the wool will change to that color." I stared at her, thinking, "Is she mad? How can the remaining wool from the shawl make us all cardigans and sweaters. THANK YOU MAM," I said politely, and took the bag back home, and there I told mom all that Pamela had said.
Mom took the bag and sat down to knit me a shawl; this shawl also finished in just two days time; I was so happy that I danced round, and round the room; thanking the Lady in my heart for giving us the wool. Shawl finished and mom looked in the bag and guess what?" The ball of wool was still as big as first. Mom knitted a cardigan for June and also for Jennifer. Both sweaters were made nice and big; then she knitted one cardigan for herself. The ball of wool was still as big as before.
Mom washed the wool, dried and rolled and rolled it as told by the Lady. The color had changed to light brown; now she knitted one jersey each for father and son, even after knitting these, there was still lots of wool left.
A few days later a young pretty woman came and asked mother to knit a sweater for her, but said, "I haven’t the time to go and buy the wool. Will you please buy a dark green shade of wool and make me a closed sweater with a high neck and also a cap. I will pay you well if you make a good job of it."
Mother washed the wool and repeated, "Dark green, the shade the lady wants," and sure enough, the wool became dark green. Mother knitted the jersey and cap and believe it or not; THERE WAS STILL WOOL LEFT.
The Lady came and on seeing the jersey and cap, exclaimed, "How pretty this set is, just the color I had wanted, the fit too is perfect." She stood some time in front of our mirror and admired herself. She paid well and above all she sent many more women to mom to have cardigans, pullovers, jerseys and even two coats.Mother started earning good money, for all whom came, paid well for their sweaters etc. Mom saved money and bought one knitting machine, and with this we earned more and, we were all happy and contented.
It took mother about five years to save enough to buy a two roomed flat.
I must tell you that the Lady, Pamela came, wearing the shawl knitted by Mom. I ran and prepared snacks for her, which I served. She ate and drank; then smiling asked,
"Joyce now do you believe that all your cardigans, jerseys, pullovers and shawls were knitted in one ball of wool? Now dear, I have come for that ball of wool; since you are now comfortable off; all due to your mother’s hard work and honesty. Now there’s another person in need of my bal of wool." Mom thanked her with tears in her eyes, saying, "You have really helped us such a lot, that I shall always remain grateful and shall try to help others less fortunate than ourselves." Mom handed the ball of wool in the bag to Pamela, the old lady.
It is now ten years since we returned the wool and now we have a nice big house. I am now married but spend most of my time with mom, still helping her roll her wool into balls, even knitting a sweater or two by hand, while I am also learning how to use the knitting machine. Children, please do remember that HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY. If mom had listened to me, we wouldn’t have received that SPECIAL BALL OF WOOL would we?
(Janette Biddulph (66) studied at Wynberg Allen in Mussoorie and worked as a warden for 20 years in Reputed School (e.g) Mamta Modern Secondary High School (Delhi), Raja Ram Mohan Roy Academy (Dehradun), Pestle Weed Collage (Dehradun), Col Brown School, Cambridge School (Dehradun) She began writing for children in 1977. She has been living in Dehradun since 1958).
We are a family of six, Mother, Father, three sisters and one brother. I, Joyce am the eldest and have to look after my brother and sister. We go to a school nest to our home. I am in Class VII, sister June in Class IV, Jennifer in Class III and brother William in Class II. I have to help them with their homework and also keep them out of trouble, which isn’t easy, I can assure you. I did as much of the housework as I could; so as to give Mom more time for her knitting; for with the farming Dad did and the knitting Mom did, we just managed to survive.
One evening, an old lady named Pamela came with some very pretty blue wool and asked Mom, "Lady will you please knit me a shawl; but I cannot pay you as I am very poor." My mom looked at her clothes and asked. "May I call you by your name?" The Old Lady nodded and mom took the wool from her and said, "If you will come back in one week’s time your shawl shall be ready for you." Mom held the wool out to me and said,
"Take this wool and make it into big balls." The Old Lady halted and said, "Make all the wool into ONE big ball; keep it in a bag while knitting." Smiling at me she left. It being a school, I immediately sat, and started unwrapping and wrapping the wool. Oh! It was so soft that sometimes I would halt and rub the wool against my cheek and wish, "I would love to have a sweater of this wool; but it is our luck to only have the remains of all the wool that the owner does not want back. Sometimes, they gave mom the balance,
especially if it was only a small amount left. Mom would mix all the wools and make us sweaters which were very jazzy. I am not cribbing, for they did really look good as mom matched the colors very well."
That night, mom took the BIG ball of wool; the ball was really quite big; she started knitting the shawl for Pamela, the old lady. Mom’s knitting needles seemed to fly and within two days the shawl was ready. Mom had made the shawl nice and big; it was long and broad so as to cover and protect Pamela from the cold. It was beautifully knitted and mom was happy with the work
Joyce just put this round your shoulders for I want to see how it looks; Oh! It looks lovely on you darling, may be some day I will be able to knit a shawl like this for you. Do you know that I had no difficulty in knitting this shawl, as the wool was so very light, in fact I’d say it was feather weight." I stood for a little longer, then removed the shawl from my shoulders and folded it; and put it away for Pamela. "Joyce, put this wool with the shawl, so that I don’t forget to return it.
Pamela came on the seventh day, mom gave her a cup of tea which she drank; then mom told me, "Joyce go and bring the Shawl for Pamela. I do hope you will like it for I
knitted it in just two days." I brought the shawl along with the remainder wool and handed it to Pamela; who opened it and spread it round her shoulders, then said with a smile, "This has been knitted beautifully, even though I had told you that I couldn’t pay you. I shall tell all my friends to come to you, and they will pay you very well." Pamela got up wearing the shawl and left. I saw the bag containing the wool lying near the chair, I thought, "She does not want this wool." Mom saw me looking at the bag and said, "Joyce go, run and return that wool to her for she may need it, for it is a big ball; I seem to have used hardly any wool , in knitting her shawl." I ran as fast as I could; but at first couldn’t see her, I halted and looked round for her; then I spied her some distance away. I wondered how she could have reached so far in such a short time. I managed to catch up to her and said, "Mam, you left the remaining wool behind, please take it."
She smiled, and put her hand on my head saying, "I left it for you and your family. Tell your mother to first make you a sweater or shawl, then make a cardigan for herself; your younger sister too can have a jersey; then your brothers, but before making anything for your brother and father, she must wash the balance of the wool, while it is still in the water to take the name of any color and the wool will change to that color." I stared at her, thinking, "Is she mad? How can the remaining wool from the shawl make us all cardigans and sweaters. THANK YOU MAM," I said politely, and took the bag back home, and there I told mom all that Pamela had said.
Mom took the bag and sat down to knit me a shawl; this shawl also finished in just two days time; I was so happy that I danced round, and round the room; thanking the Lady in my heart for giving us the wool. Shawl finished and mom looked in the bag and guess what?" The ball of wool was still as big as first. Mom knitted a cardigan for June and also for Jennifer. Both sweaters were made nice and big; then she knitted one cardigan for herself. The ball of wool was still as big as before.
Mom washed the wool, dried and rolled and rolled it as told by the Lady. The color had changed to light brown; now she knitted one jersey each for father and son, even after knitting these, there was still lots of wool left.
A few days later a young pretty woman came and asked mother to knit a sweater for her, but said, "I haven’t the time to go and buy the wool. Will you please buy a dark green shade of wool and make me a closed sweater with a high neck and also a cap. I will pay you well if you make a good job of it."
Mother washed the wool and repeated, "Dark green, the shade the lady wants," and sure enough, the wool became dark green. Mother knitted the jersey and cap and believe it or not; THERE WAS STILL WOOL LEFT.
The Lady came and on seeing the jersey and cap, exclaimed, "How pretty this set is, just the color I had wanted, the fit too is perfect." She stood some time in front of our mirror and admired herself. She paid well and above all she sent many more women to mom to have cardigans, pullovers, jerseys and even two coats.Mother started earning good money, for all whom came, paid well for their sweaters etc. Mom saved money and bought one knitting machine, and with this we earned more and, we were all happy and contented.
It took mother about five years to save enough to buy a two roomed flat.
I must tell you that the Lady, Pamela came, wearing the shawl knitted by Mom. I ran and prepared snacks for her, which I served. She ate and drank; then smiling asked,
"Joyce now do you believe that all your cardigans, jerseys, pullovers and shawls were knitted in one ball of wool? Now dear, I have come for that ball of wool; since you are now comfortable off; all due to your mother’s hard work and honesty. Now there’s another person in need of my bal of wool." Mom thanked her with tears in her eyes, saying, "You have really helped us such a lot, that I shall always remain grateful and shall try to help others less fortunate than ourselves." Mom handed the ball of wool in the bag to Pamela, the old lady.
It is now ten years since we returned the wool and now we have a nice big house. I am now married but spend most of my time with mom, still helping her roll her wool into balls, even knitting a sweater or two by hand, while I am also learning how to use the knitting machine. Children, please do remember that HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY. If mom had listened to me, we wouldn’t have received that SPECIAL BALL OF WOOL would we?
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