Sunday 17 January 2010

Day 110-A Toy Elephant

Sans! Sans! Help me please! A small voice called just outside my chamber. I rubbed my eyes. Who could it be at this hour? I wondered. Sans! Sans! It cried persistently. Reluctantly, I walked to the door and opened it slightly.

What do you want? I asked the toy elephant with irritation. At the same time, I was marveling at the craftsmanship..hmm, exquisite! It is not tiny, like most toys. Probably the size of a child, 3 1/2" tall all the way to its trunk and 3" wide from foot to foot. Must be European, I thought. It is all the rage now, what they call a ride-on pull animal. As its name suggest, it is a toy where a child rides on while another pulls it along, causing squeals of delight. Little noises the well-to-do will pay top dollar for.

You must help my mistress, Eva, toy elephant pleaded.
Eva, who? I asked, Eva's Tabla's Diva Eva?
Yes , yes! Toy Ele answered, You must do something for her. MAKE me RUN and until then, DO NOT eat!
What??

And before I could protest further, the toy elephant vanished and I woke up with a start.

The next morning, I went to work as usual and as prophesied in my dream, a parcel arrived from Spain. Of course, it was from Eva! And o my, what a delicious pile!



I eyed the sweets greedily while trying to concentrate on Eva's notes to me. I was told that these were the most famous Spanish Christmas desserts, specially the big one, Turron. The Turron that she had sent was the most typical (Jijona Turron). It was made with almonds, sugar, honey and white. Very sweet...Then there are the smaller ones (individuals), the Polvorones and it is true that........I couldn't wait any longer and before I even finished reading, I had already popped a Polvorones in my mouth. Oooooh, I was in heaven. It was pure ecstasy! An incredible sensation of nutty stickiness and musky aroma exploded in my mouth and I wanted to scream "absolutely delicious!" except my lips were glued together and I could only gargle!!

Arghhh, I suddenly remembered the elephant's warning! And when I went back to Eva's note, I saw that she had warned me too.. "Then there are the smaller ones (individuals), the Polvorones and it is true that they are less sweet. A normal joke here with friends or family is to try to say a long word like “Constantinople” with an entire Polvoron in your mouth ;) Totally impossible…LOL.." I stared at the toy elephant and I swear I could see an evil I-told-you-so grin on its face!

I tried not to panic. Alright, maybe if I can make the elephant run, he can run back to Eva to seek an antidote for me. That's a plan! I quickly took out my tools and the parts required.



I needed a wooden base so I took one of those I ripped off from my dolls and started sanding it down to half its thickness.I then spray painted it silver. With the veneer sanded off, the base had the look and feel of sandstone. Then I started on the wheels. I have kept bits and pieces from the construction kit when I completed the temple in March last year. Finally, I have some use for the little round wooden chips. I knocked a hole in the center of each chip and then fit 2 chips through the ends of a tooth pick. I then spray painted the wheels "October Brown". When the paint dried, I glued the silver bits onto the wheels to make them pretty. I then fixed 4 "hooks" for the ropes, 2 by the side, one front and one back. Finally, after I glued a filigree silver piece onto the base, I glued the elephant on it.

I tested it and yes, it could run. Quite fast too for wooden wheels. I then added the quintessential feather to its head and wondered how much the palace would pay for a toy like this. By the time I finished, it was past midnight but I still could not open my mouth. There was nothing much I could do and so with a heavy heart, I prepared for bed. I did not sleep well.

It was almost dawn when I thought I heard the door hinge squeaked. I thought I was dreaming again but the next morning, toy elephant was nowhere to be found. And neither were my sweets!

I opened my mouth and heard myself shout "absolutely delicious!" The curse was broken! I could speak again! And I could brush my teeth! No bad breath! I sighed with relief.

Much as I am happy the curse is gone, I do hope however, that toy elephant will return, maybe with Eva. But definitely with the sweets. Shucks, I haven't even tasted the Turron yet!

37 comments:

rosanna said...

Funny post, you made me giggle! The elephant is beautiful and you have been very clever giving him a base to "walk" around. Get the Turron back, it's delicious and I love Polvorones too.Eva has been really kind and sweet (excuse the weak pun).Hugs Rosanna

Eva said...

Ha, ha.....I am ginggling too...I love, love your tunned elephant...I think I will buy another one for me...looks prettier now...Congratulations my dear you have done a great job
I will email you if one of these nights I heard food steps and the sweets appears on my door....LOL

Eva said...

Obviously I wanted to say "foot steps"...LOL...always thinking about food!! ha,ha

Sans! said...

Yes, Rosanna, I have never felt so pleased at receiving desserts in my life. The last time I receive one was from Jayne who sent me handcrafted chocolates. I wanted to save it for as long as I could and finally opened it only months later!

As you know, I have already tasted one of the Polvorones. And as you know, I love it! It is like gourmet food and I will take gourmet food! I want to keep it for as long as I can!

I am thrilled you like the elephant. Now that I have made a big ride on elephant, I will want to try a small pull toy later on. :)

Sans! said...

hahahaha, Eva, I love your "food steps". I think your elephant is one of the more beautiful ones that I owned. And I own many types of elephants. So yes, go get one for yourself, and if you need the parts to make it run, I will be more than happy to send them to you! Can you imagine, you and I having the same elephant across the world. It will be even more interesting when you see how the story develops!

Could you guess this was what I was going to make when I told you I immediately knew what to do with the elephant. The fact that I really want to start eating the sweets make me work faster..lol! I was saving everything for the photo and the story! I haven't told my brother yet that I was supposed to share the desserts with him. I am saving them for my reunion dinner during Chinese New Year (13/2/10). Then everyone can enjoy your sweets :) Thank you, Eva, thank you very much :).

I am looking for peanut candy but they are so soft I fear when they reach you, they will be smashed to just powder!

Unknown said...

eheheh!!!! *giggles hard too*!

*nudges* SHARE LEY!!! so far it's been hard to find something that could rightly shut me up, maybe the polvorones will do the trick! XD XD XD!

(hilarious post btw, i read it twice and finally understood it. my compre fail -_-")

Mercedes Spencer @ Liberty Biberty said...

FANTASTIC elephant! Sweets - yum! Lucky you!
Mercedes

Sans! said...

Hmm, you have to read twice huh, Cindy ? I have to re-look at how I write then. Am I too confusing? Is my sentence too long or too short? The fact that I do not use quotients when my characters "speak" adds to the befuddlement I am sure but I am too lazy. lol. I also make the assumption that everyone knows when I am me and when I am Sans! the palace craftsman.

Any constructive criticism is most definitely appreciated! Love it that you are always candid with me in the sweetest of ways! lol :). For that, *catch! Did you get the polvorone? Before you pop it in your mouth, it taste a little like the peanut candy and can make talking a bit hard if you put the whole thing in your mouth.

I was so stingy with my 1st polvorone that I cut it into 4 small pieces and shared between 4 people! lol

Sans! said...

Merce, thank you! It was really yumms! Can't even bear to throw the box away because it was so aromatic from the polvorones. hmmmmmmm ...

Unknown said...

LOL, NO SANS!! nothing to do with your writing, i was expressing how much i wanted to appreciate your efforts i read it twice, since i have attention span issues and have a tendency to speed read, thus missing out details.

i wanted to drink in everything you wrote with my eyes XD sorry to have mis-led you! *hugs* you're overly self-critical la......:)

*OMNOMNOM* **out pops a filling** WAHH~~~~~

dalesdreams said...

Sans, you are just too funny!

And you're making me very hungry now, I want a taste, I want a taste. lol ;)

I love what you did with the elephant, what a fabulous idea.

Maybe he's on his way to my house with the treats. ;)

(I'm still catching up!)

Lize said...

Dear Sans,
I have been JINXED!
My comments everywhere are disappearing!
I left a comment about your lovely elephant and my obsession with them in all forms... and now my words are gone!!!
I feel like I am IN~VISIBLE!

SOS SOS help!!!!!!
CAN YOU HEAR ME?

Sans! said...

Haha, Cindy! Thank goodness for pen pals like you! You are very good for my ego which is already growing at a very unhealthy exponential rate from an already oversized hmm, size.

Wow, when's the last time anyone uses the term "pen-pals"? I remembered I had one when I was in my primary school. Someone from Europe or is it India, if I remember correctly. But really , aren't we all pen pals here? Or lap (laptop) pals? Ok, that does not sound right..

Sans! said...

Ooooh, Dale, I was wondering when you are coming my way. I saw your comments everywhere but here! lol! Actually you didn't realise but Toy Ele had already gone to your house, knocked on your door and invite you here! :)

Having said that, no pressure about leaving comments but of course I would be lying if I tell you I don't check my inbox ever so often to see who's been here. And these days, it's not beyond me to send an elephant to hunt you down if you are not here soon enough! With desserts the next time:)

Sans! said...

LIZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE, I can FINALLY HEAR youuuuuuuu (with echo too). Ohhhh, you can't imagine my puzzlement when I didn't hear from you! I want all that "obsessive" words back!

I sighed with relief (sighing a lot these days! relief kind..lol) when I saw that you were here, AT LAST!

You are hardly invisible, Lize cos I saw you over at Rosanna's, ALOT! *giggling at my own fake jealousy!

But seriously though, having some of you visit is like having weekly high tea at my home with club members. I miss you guys when you are not here and then my mind starts to wander into this black hole of severe self doubt, wondering if maybe my china is not pretty enough or the tea is stale or the desserts suck! BUT I had Spanish desserts! And you were still not here! Luckily its because you were JINXED! Now I am happy again :)

dalesdreams said...

Sans, you have such a great sense of humor. I love it. :)

I didn't hear no stinkin elephant knock at the door! lol ;) bummers, he better be bringing the treats next time!

I am so far behind, I think I've only caught up with like three peeps all the way.

There should be a moratorium on posting on blogs until I catch up... by next month, I'm sure of it. ;)

I love the ongoing conversations you have on your blog.

um... lap pals, no dear. ;)

I had penpals all over the world when I was young, who'd have ever thought the computer and internet would give me so many more. :) it's so cool and amazing.

Ara said...

What a wonderful package from Eva!! You have taken a beautiful gift and turned it into a very useful toy! I am sure the palace will be asking for it soon! Yummy sweets too! I hope they come back soon! hugs, ara

Lize said...

I have to tell you, when my comments started to disappear, I had visions of (paranoia I know!!) blogger-conspiracy! You know, those words 'block-this-follower-because-she-is annoying'! Well, I was starting to imagine that it was happening to me.

Just wanted to say that you should market those pull-a-long-phants! I want one, ...I need one!

I loooove elephants. Gray ones, silver ones and white elephants too. African, Asian, does not matter. Love them all!

I have a silver elephant lamp (sounds strange, I know) but no elephant on wheels!

Oh yes, and loved the post! You are seriously the funniest blogger of my acquaintance! (I'll let you know when I find someone funnier-as to inspire you of course!)

Keep up the good work*****

Sans! said...

Dale, I totally agree on the moratorium! The world should just stop when we rest , don't you think?

By the way, you must have met a real elephant before, because they really do smell and they have no manners whatsoever (especially when you are travelling in a convoy behind one that's constantly passing gas and dump and then some!!!

I don't know why we love them still. We girls are hopeless!

Sans! said...

Thank you, Ara! :) There's no place at the palace for the elephant at the moment! You know why! lol.. I can't seem to stop making things for the bazaar..

A moment please while I talk to myself: Sans! Go build a home already!

Sans! said...

OMG, what a great name :pull-a-long-phants ..a bit of a hassle to type but poetry to the ears Liz! :)

By the way, I know someone who's funnier than me, yes, it's Rosanna! Isn't that why you hang out there all the time? Hah! ;p

I really think this elephant that Eva gave me is beautiful so it makes what I did good. It is a bit big for a pull along so it is a pull-along-ride-along. If you really want one, I will gladly make one for you, dear! Very flattered indeed :). Except I will have to find an elephant. Or I can send you the parts for a 3" by 3 1/2" phant. It's real easy to make. Let me know!

Lize said...

You are too kind Sans! But I think one should not always get what one wants! And once I have one, what shall I do with it? (this is my sensible husband's advice!) No, I'll come and visit the Maharaja's abode to admire my elephant friend... and you...

BTW You ARE the funniest! AND THATS THAT!!!

Sans! said...

Alright, Lize, you and I have a date! A howdah will be sent to you for the palace's opening!

Meli Abellán said...

Sans, Lovely toy elephant but the "turrones and polvorones" is too much!!! What a good idea Eva.
Lovely story Sans and I hope you enjoy eating our christmas sweets!!!
Hugs
Meli

Sans! said...

Meli, like I said, I have never been so happy receiving food in the mail. Just hours before i got the mail, my friend was boasting about how he bought an English fruit cake for Xmas that is flown all the way in from England..since then I have been showing off my own "imported" cake without offering him a slice..haha!

dalesdreams said...

Sans, you are pure evil! LOL ;)

I think you got the better deal.

Make him drool! lol ;)

(not meaning to offend any English, I've never had fruit cake)

rosanna said...

I absolutely agree: YOU ARE the funniest blogger !! and I love reading your posts and your answers. Lately I had vision of the two of us chatting to the small hours.... Shall we understand each other? my spoken English used to be fluent but now...Thank goodness I refreshed it in Scotland. Do you want a wee dram? hugs Rosanna

Sans! said...

Maybe you have, Dale, fruitcake I mean. They are fairly normal cake with little bits of raisins and berries. I only started to like sweets in my late 30s so I rarely have cakes or sweets or chocolates for a big part of my life! Now I die for them!

And really I am not that evil! If my friend begs, I guess I will share a slice with him, a very very thin slice.

Sans! said...

O Rosanna, I can't wait! And my dear, you will regret promising me our small chats into the wee hours! I will never let you sleep ..lol! But feed me a wee dram (I had to google that!) and I knock out like a defeated boxer! I think whisky is smelly! hahaha but FaiZ loves it! Give me coffee or tea any day, but not if you want to sleep ! :)

TreeFeathers said...

How did I miss this post before? I LOVE your little elephant and what you've done with him! I think they'll be very pleased with him in the palace. Also, I agree with everyone else here, your post is hilarious! You're always very entertaining to read.

I had a pen pal when I was a kid, too, in Saudi Arabia (my father was living there in the US Army, it was the niece of someone he worked with.) We lost track of each other somehow when she was coming to the USA to go to college the same year I moved to France. I've always wondered how things turned out for her! We used to send each other such silly things - once I sent her an envelope full of paper snowflakes I'd cut out, since she said she'd never seen snow! I think one of the fun things about the internet is getting to meet so many interesting people all over the world.

- Grace

Sans! said...

Grace, you are a doll! Thank you for popping by to tell me so. I take funny very seriously :)

That snowflakes story is so sweet and you know what? They are the kind of things we remember fondly and love till we are 80, like a well designed tattoo,lol! On the scale of the "silly" factor, maybe it scores a perfect 10 but I tell you, there's nothing like a "silly" gesture to make us feel all warm and tender and well, loved. Few other things can achieve that, don't you agree? I love what we are doing now for each other and although it may be silly(eh, like my stories) to some, (eg me not that long ago! Never thought I am capable of squealing,not to mention, over a "toy" that you can't even really play with! Or desserts!), I just can't describe how all these gestures have made me a much nicer person now. I say we celebrate "silly" all over again, like we are all 6 year olds. The world may be a much better place.

TreeFeathers said...

I agree with you completely. I think we should start an international 'Silliness Day', I think it's a holiday EVERYone could get behind! :D

dalesdreams said...

I think every day should have some sillyness to it. ;)

Sans, my grandmother used to make a fruit cake that was a really nice bread or cake with dates and walnuts.

Here in the US, there is this odd, vibrantly colored (fruit), that I have no idea what it is, but apparently there are only three around and people just pass them back and forth to one another. ;)

I'm still grooving on the elephant.

I saw an elephant in a magazine and immediately, thought of you. :)

(you're not an elephant, you have one!)

LOL! just wanted to make sure that was clear. :)

Sans! said...

So there are at least 3 people now behind the International Silliness Day! lol

Dale,I am soooooo curious about this unusual fruit! Sounds like some kind of magic fruit that can never be finished!

By the way, I am a polar bear so an elephant is pretty close -haha :)

Madalina said...

Oh my God! I just couldn't believe my eyes. I liked so much how you described the romani habits- like the flamenco and the dresses (by the way, I just love how Joaquin Cortez does the flamenco). I live in Romania and here the romani minority is so different from what you describe and how I know they were at origins...and it's too bad because their image is not so bright. Keep up the good work! :)

Sans! said...

Wow, Ela, so do you know any romani? I have a very romantic and maybe warped sense of a gypsy's life. I know it can be a very hard life :) but in my stories, my women will always overcome hopefully, with their wit :) and strength. For me, it is very interesting that gypsies actually originate from India. It is so good to see a non miniaturist here at my blog. Thank you for making the time to comment.

dalesdreams said...

Gypsies call to mind the movie, Chocolate with Johnny Depp. :)

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