An adaptation of a story by Lynnae McConaha
There once was a little village nestled in a valley high in the mountains. A crystal clear brook passed neatly through the middle of town, and this was where the women of the town came to collect water for cooking and drinking. The children gathered there later in the day when school was over to talk and play. It was a time to share dreams and aspirations, a time to plan and a time to frolic. The wonderful times they had were held dear in young Martha’s memory, for now times had changed.
With the sudden death of Martha’s father, mother had to go to work to support the family. The only position she could find was in a nearby city. A wealthy family needed a nanny for their daughter, and Martha’s mother would live with the family in their home in the city. She was allowed to take her baby, Thomas, with her, but Martha had to stay behind in the village with her grandmother.
On the day her mother was to leave, Martha felt very sad. She would miss Mother and Thomas more than she could imagine, and worried about what she would do while they were gone. She had no ideas and when Mother came to say good-bye, Martha was crying.
“I’ll write to you every day,” Mother said tenderly. “And I’ll be home again in the spring. I know this will not be easy for any of us, but Grandmother will look after you. She has many interesting stories to tell and precious gifts to give if you watch for them.” With that, Mother kissed her, said good-bye, and left for the city.
Martha sat wondering what her mother meant about Grandmother’s precious gifts. As far as she knew, Grandmother was as poor as she and her mother and little brother were. She sat at the window and watched her mother disappear into the distance, and her tears flowed.
The first days were filled with emptiness, and Martha tried to busy herself around the house and be helpful to Grandmother. She cleaned and straightened everything, cooked and baked, read a book, and still could not rid herself of the deep sadness she felt.
One night after dinner, they sat in front of the fireplace and Grandmother told Martha about the old days, when Grandfather was alive. “We came to the mountains many years ago,” Grandmother began, “to raise sheep for their wool, which we hoped to weave into useful items. We had a large herd of sheep which was tended by your grandfather and eventually he built a loom and we started weaving. I had a knack for spinning fine yarn and dying it with flowers and berries that grew wild in the mountains. It took both of us together to operate the huge loom on which we made blankets and bedspreads. Word spread and soon people came from far and wide to buy our woven goods. Our little village became known as the 'Valley of the Weavers.'”
Here, Grandmother stopped and looked into the fire for a long time before she continued. “It was a good life, Martha. I wish you could have known your grandfather... he was a wonderful man!”
“What happened to him, Grandmother?” questioned Martha.
“He was out tending the sheep one day in a high mountain meadow, when a sudden storm blew up. He herded the sheep into a sheltered area and then noticed that one lamb had gotten separated from the rest and was missing, so he went back to find her. We don’t know for sure, but we think he was struck by lightning and killed instantly. He was found the next day, in the middle of the meadow, with the sheep he loved nibbling grass all around him.”
Grandmother’s eyes were misty as she went on. “Things were very difficult for awhile. Your mother was born just a month after her father died, so I had my hands full. The sheep were tended by a local boy and I closed down the loom. In fact, it hasn’t been used much since then, and is still out back in the weaving house.” Grandmother paused, looked at Martha, and smiled, her eyes twinkling as if she had just had a wonderful idea.
Just then, they heard the tinkling of the bells around the necks of the sheep. They were coming home late tonight! The shepherd poked his head in the door to say, “The girls wanted to stay out after dark tonight, but they’re all home safe and sound now.” He was holding his staff in one hand, and his hat in the other. Saying good-night, he closed the door and left. Grandmother and Martha sat quietly and stared into the dancing flames of the fire, lost in a world of their own imaginations.
The next day, Grandmother suggested that Martha might like to go out with the shepherd as he tended the sheep. It sounded like fun, so she packed a lunch and grabbed Grandfather’s old staff from the corner as she ran out the door. It felt good to be out in the clean, mountain air, walking among fields of wildflowers and daydreaming. Martha remembered Grandmother telling her about how she would collect the wool the sheep left behind on bushes and fences, and turn it into yarn, so she decided to collect some for herself. When she returned home that evening, she proudly showed Grandmother the wool she had gathered.
“That’s enough to make a warm pair of mittens and a long, woolen scarf for you this winter,” Grandmother said.
“You mean, I could make my own scarf and mittens myself?” Martha asked excitedly. “Will you show me how?”
Grandmother agreed, and together, they washed and carded the wool, turning it into the biggest pile of fleece Martha had ever seen. Then Grandmother showed her how to spin a fine thread of yarn on the spinning wheel. Martha especially loved learning how to dye the yarn different colors by using plants from the mountains. Finally Grandmother taught her how to thread the small, wooden loom used to make the scarf. Martha learned quickly and in no time at all, she had made a beautiful, warm scarf of many colors! Next she knitted herself a pair of mittens from the remaining yarn, and couldn’t wait for winter to come so she could wear her hand-made treasures!
Fall eventually turned into winter, and one day, Martha was awakened early by the sound of voices downstairs. It sounded like Mother and Thomas! She almost flew down the stairs and straight into Mother’s arms. What a wonderful surprise it was to see them again! After many joyful tears and hugs, Mother introduced Martha and Grandmother to Elsie. She explained that Elsie’s parents had to go on a trip and they had agreed that Mother could return home for a few days and bring Elsie with her. As Mother and Grandmother sat by the fire talking, Martha, Thomas and Elsie played together. Elsie was a few years younger than Martha, but when she saw the scarf and mittens Martha had made, she wanted some too. Martha agreed to make them for her. She was sorry to see Mother leave again, but it didn’t feel as bad as the first time, now that she had something to keep her busy. She wanted to make the scarf and mittens for Elsie and send them to her as quickly as possible.
Soon after Elsie received Martha’s hand-made gifts, she sent her a letter saying that all her friends wanted scarves and mittens and even hats, if Martha thought she could make them. They wanted to pay her, too! Martha talked to Grandmother about it and she agreed to help. For the next several weeks, they were very busy making all the items that people had ordered. After they had been sent out, another letter came. This letter was from a shop in the city that carried hand-crafted items. They had seen Martha’s work and wanted to carry it in the shop! As word spread, more and more requests came in and soon Grandmother and Martha had more work than they could handle. They asked some of their neighbors if they would like to help, and eventually, almost everyone in the village was working.
One day in early spring, Grandmother decided to open the weaving house and show Martha the old loom. It was very dusty and full of cobwebs, but Martha could see the immense old loom, sitting there, and got an idea. “Grandmother,” she asked, “do you think this old loom still works?”
“Well, I suppose it does,” Grandmother replied. “There’s only one way to find out!” she said, her eyes twinkling. Together, they cleaned up the loom and finally got it ready to weave. It was exciting for Grandmother to see the old loom back in operation, and it was exciting for Martha, because now she could weave bigger things, like blankets and bedspreads and woolen material for clothing. This was just what she had dreamed! Now she knew that her mother had been right when she told her Grandmother had precious gifts to give!
Mother and Thomas came home that spring and never had to leave again to work in the city. The weaving business was very profitable, and as word spread far and wide, the little village once again became known as the “Valley of the Weavers.”
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