Borrowers room box, part 2

Read the beginning of this story.

This is how the fireplace in the Borrowers' dwelling is described:

"It was a charming fireplace, made by Arrietty's grandfather, with a cogwheel from the stables, part of an old cider-press. The spokes of the cogwheel stood out in starry rays, and the fire itself nested in the centre. Above there was a chimney-piece made from a small brass funnel, inverted... An arrangement of pipes, from the spout of the funnel, carried the fumes into the kitchen flues above. The fire was laid with match-sticks and fed with assorted slack and, as it burned up, the iron would become hot, and Homily would simmer soup on the spokes in a silver thimble, and Arrietty would broil nuts".

I have no idea how to get hold of a cogwheel from a cider-press. Maybe if I go to car-boot sales or large antique stores. I tried ebay but it only returned steam-punk jewellery. Therefore, so far my Borrowers will have to do with something else.

I don't know what it is, most probably something to hold a water hose. It was semitransparent plastic, and I painted it black with a light coat of copper. The back is just a piece of black card. But there must be something for Homily to put her soup on, and, digging deeper into rubbish under the kitchen sink, I found another object of unknown origin:

 

Funnel next. I have a set of plastic funnels, and the smallest was just the right size. I painted it black, with the same light coat of copper. And used a drinking straw for "an arrangement of pipes".

 

I appropriately "borrowed" a flickering tea light from my large Victorian house, piled some matches, found a thimble and a nut.





I think Arrietty's grandfather would have approved of it.


To be continued.