Clan SWWT

The Secret Ingredient

Doctor Ferninand was a kind travelling old man, who often sent gifts and souvenirs to his home village from his travels for the people to share as they see fit. Often sending home exotic instruments, silk, dried herbs, spices, and of course recipes he had never seen before. When a gift would arrive to the village eldest, she would read the letter accompanying the parcel in the town square after unwrapping it and show the people the lovely prize sent from Doctor Ferninand, turning it into a small event with sweet treats and fun for all of the villagers.
A new parcel was being brought in by horse, and when it had arrived the old woman was busy finishing baking a delicious blueberry pie for the arrival of the package ceremony. She hurried outside to collect the package from the man, smelt smoke and rushed towards her stone oven setting the brown paper covered parcel on the window sill. Ruined, she’d have to start over, but there was no time to prepare another pie. A bit discouraged she went and looked at the package. It had an odd shape, not the usual square shape, but more of a thick tube. Not wanting to ruin the unwrapping for the other villagers she began looking for a note attached to the parcel. There was a tie on the paper, but no note. “It must have fallen off.” she thought to herself. Being unable to guess what was inside she opened the package to reveal a large jar.
Taking a look at this jar full of a grey powder, the old woman sticks her finger into the jar and tastes the powder. “Delicious!” she exclaimed with an elephants smile. “I have never tasted anything like this before. His gift must be a new spice from the east. Instead of making another pie I should use this spice to make a wonderful treat for the village, with such a large jar there will be another for all, and then some.” She began by boiling a large cauldron of water, and began pouring in about half the powder into the water. Took a ladle and sampled her concoction. “Delicious, it doesn’t even need salt!” She had a few of the local men help her bring the very large pot down to the town square, and sent several of the children to tell the locals to bring their cups and bowls to the ceremony.
After explaining the villagers the bad news about the note, she began raving about this wonderful spice Doctor Ferninand had sent them. “It tastes as if you were kissing the soul of an angel.” Now, this got quite some attention as none of these villagers had ever tasted an angels soul before. They eagerly lined up with their mugs, cups, and bowls, waiting to sample the wonderful spice drink. The villagers were not disappointed, they all loved this wonderful spice, and many wished to try it within their own recipes. As the gift was for the village to share, the elder agreed and divided up the jar as needed between them, of course keeping a fair portion for her own recipes.
Soon the jar had run dry, and everyone was still ecstatic over the taste that this spice gave off, zesting up their chicken, spicing their mutton, crisping their celery, sweetening their beets. There was such a demand for the spice the village began complaining to the elder that she needed to send the good doctor a letter saying how much they had appreciated the spice and simply need more of his precious gift.
As she was also feeling the need to have more of this magical spice, the elder sent a letter to the home of family friend that Doctor Ferninand frequents, begging for more of the delicious spice. Days went by and the people waited, waited for the delicious taste of that wonderful spice, it was over a week before any news was heard.
When the horseman with the reply came, without a parcel, there was a bit of panic of expectancy around the square, so the old woman read aloud from the letter.
“What is this delicious spice you speak of? We’d hate to inform you, to our regret, the good Doctor Ferninand has died recently, his wish was to return home from his travels, but the poor man came down with pneumonia before his journey home could start and died in our living room on the sofa. We decided to honour his wishes, so we sent his remains home in a large jar.”









-Bill Snider (nrn)