One day, Mrs Moss went shopping in the village of Little Chestnut.
The centre of the village, where the various shops and stalls were located was just a short walk from Mrs Moss's front door, so she tucked little baby Bonnie in the pram and set off.
First she went to the bakery and picked up some freshly baked goods from Mrs Brighteyes.
'Good morning Mrs Moss, how may I help you?' Mrs Brighteyes said, attentively.
'I'll have two iced buns, a loaf of your best bread and one of those little cakes for my dearest Bonnie, please' Mrs Moss said.
'Of course!' Mrs Brighteyes packed everything neatly into a brown paper bag, beaming at little Bonnie as she gurgled back. 'That will be five pounds and twenty pence please, Mrs Moss.'
Mrs Moss counted out her money, although she was careful not to flash the large amount of cash in her pretty little purse. After all, everyone knew that the Moss family were the richest in the village - they owned the Mansion! But despite all their riches, they were delightfully lovely and often make sizeable donations to local causes.
'Thank you very much,' Mrs Brighteyes smiled. 'Have a nice day shopping!'
'And you! Thank you,' And with that, Mr Brighteyes opened the door for Mrs Moss, as she pushed her pram out.
Mrs Moss had hoped to purchase a new frock at the dress shop, however she was disappointed to see that it was currently under renovations.
Instead, she headed to the shoe stall outside Orchard Cottage.
'Mrs Moss! And her beautiful daughter Bonnie,' Mr Bramble the hedgehog greeted her. 'How can I assist you on this fine sunny day?'
'I would like to purchase a new pair of shoes please,' Requested Mrs Moss.
'What sort of occasion would you be wearing them too, Mrs Moss?' Mr Bramble enquired.
'I want a comfortable summer shoe I can wear everyday that's cool and airy, please,' Mrs Moss described, carefully. Mr Bramble briefly browsed his large array of shoes before picking out a pair of lovely white sandals.
'How about these, Mrs Moss?' Mr Bramble switched into 'sales' mode. 'These sandals soles are literally like heaven, my wife tells me. Made of high quality materials from organic sources, they protect your feet from the often harmful sun, whilst being the most ventilated shoe currently on the market!'
Mrs Moss inspected the shoes interestedly.
'Mrs Moss, not only do these shoes ventilate your feet to prevent unsightly sweating, they also have some ground-breaking technology in the soles! Feel that, Mrs Moss? Fully cushioned sole! And if I'm correct, I recall these are your exact size!' Poor Mr Bramble was desperate for a sale.
'They are indeed my size Mr Bramble, can I try them on please?' Mr Bramble immediately obliged, helping her put on the shoes.
'My, my, Mrs Moss don't you have such lovely feet! If I may say so, the sandals really do make the - complexion? - of your feet really stand out, and the colour is a - um - perfect contrast to your skin colour,' Mr Bramble stumbled as he tried to compliment poor Mrs Moss' feet.
'They'll do perfectly thank you, Mr Bramble,' Mrs Moss smiled, taking them off and handing them to Mr Bramble. 'How much are they?' Little did Mrs Moss know, Mr Bramble seemed to be hastily peeling off the price label (which read £20).
'Um - well they were sixty pounds, but as a special offer to my favourite loyal customer, they are just forty pounds,' Mr Bramble said, in a rather rushed voice. Mrs Moss frowned. She liked to have nice things but she thought unnecessary luxuries were silly. 'Honestly Mrs Moss, my motto is 'a premium price for a premium product'. I promise that these shoes are a steal at forty pounds - the cheapest price you'll find in the village!'
Mrs Moss knew it was the
only price she'd find in the village because there was only one shoe shop.
'Alright, alright, I'll buy them,' She handed him the money and left.
As she was leaving, she heard Mr Bramble saying to another customer: 'I promise you, this stall has the cheapest shoes around! We don't bother with organic materials or special technology - we just sell basic shoes!'
Mrs Moss sighed, now knowing full well she'd been cheated of her money.
'Hello Mr Thistlethorn, can I have two bottles of milk please,' Mrs Moss sighed.
'Here you are, Mrs Moss,' He handed her the bottles. 'One pound and fifty pence please,'
As Mrs Moss was counting out her coins, Mr Thistlethorn (a family friend), made conversation.
'You look a little glum today, Mrs Moss?' Mr Thistlethorn asked, thoughtfully.
'I've just been sold a pair of shoes by Mr Bramble, and I am now beginning to question the price I paid for them,' Mr Thistlethorn nodded knowingly.
'His prices do seem to vary on the customer, I will admit. Don't worry, I find his shoes are usually of good quality, if rather on the expensive side,' Explained Mr Thistlethorn. 'I suppose he's just trying to make a living - he's got four children you know,'
'Yes, well, good day, Mr Thistlethorn,' Mrs Moss nodded and left.
'Thank you!' Mr Thistlethorn called out behind her. Finally, she headed to Highfields Farm, where the Hunter-Smyth Chocolate Labradors always have their stall set up.
'I'd like to buy some rose seeds please, Camilla,' Mrs Moss said to her good friend.
'Excellent choice Mrs Moss, that's fifty pence please,' Mrs Hunter-Smyth smiled. 'Your baby looks as beautiful as ever Mrs Moss!'
'Thank you ever so much, she's ever such a good girl sharing her pram with all my shopping!' The two women laughed.
'Goodbye!' They chorused. It took minutes for Mrs Moss to arrive back home.
Gosh, what a busy morning - it's good to be home, she thought, as she unpacked her shopping.
I hope you liked the story, even though I'm afraid it's a little heavy on the words ;)
I think Mr Bramble might have been a little bit of a crook, but I love him really, I do!
I've got several posts planned for the next couple of weeks, the final 'Sylvanian Village' story, and some other posts that I hope you'll find interesting. :)
