The Magic Locket

Theme: Adventure / Family / Growing-Up

Writer: Orla Ni Cholmáin

Approximate Age Group: 5 – 10 years

On her 5th birthday, like with every child of that age, Dorothy received a locket. This was not just any ordinary locket her mother explained to her.

Each year, Dorothy would receive a locket until the age of 10, so she would have 5 lockets in the end. The locket was special, each year, Dorothy would be able to store one of her favourite memories from the year in her locket. In years to come she would be able to revisit that memory and bring someone special with her back to that memory.

So… on this very special birthday, Dorothy sat at her kitchen table with her two parents, her grandfather and her best friend, Miriam. She had so many questions to ask about her gift, but her grandad told her that it was best to show her rather than tell her.

He brought out a small chest, it looked like a small treasure chest and when he opened it, there lay five silver lockets. “Pick a year Dorothy” her grandad smiled. Dorothy very confused but excited to understand answered: “Mmmm… I choose five as it is my age today!”

Her grandad picked a locket from the chest with a date on it and an engraving saying aged five. He brought her into another room, just the two of them, held her hand and then opened the locket….

Dorothy could not believe her eyes. She was holding her grandads hand but no longer in her sitting room, they were standing in a small cobbly, windy street. There were no cars, only horses and carriages. She heard children playing and tugged her grandad’s hand pulling him along to take a look! In the street there were five children playing with a skip rope, just like she loved to do in school, but the children were dressed very differently. They were wearing plain clothes; the boys wore long shorts and the girls wore simple dresses. She looked up at her grandad, he was no longer standing beside her.

A little boy waved at her to join in with them playing. A familiar smile and gentle eyes, it was her grandad as a little boy! They played for a while and then her grandad turned to her; “Times up, we have to go back”. He took her hand, opened the locket and then they were back in her sitting room.

She looked at her grandad wide eyed: “I want to go back and play grandad! I was having so much fun!” He laughed and explained: “The gift is that we visit a memory but for only for a short time, the reason for this is that we must live in the present and not in the past”. Dorothy still thinking of playing skip rope was hardly listening.

They went back into the kitchen, her mammy and daddy asked her: “Well, did you enjoy your trip with grandad?” Dorothy replied: “Oh yes, mammy, daddy and Miriam I can’t wait to visit your memories”. “All in good time Dorothy” mammy said. They then enjoyed some birthday cake together.