I recently had the great pleasure of visiting the fabulous Valentino exhibit at the Brisbane Museum of Contemporary Art. When the second week of our October school holidays turned raaaather soggy, we aborted our plan to go camping, and decided it would be more fun to go to our closest city Brisbane, for a few days.
The weather alternated from rain to light drizzle to
'Irish mist'. The sun didn't come out once. But we had some fun even though we
did a lot of walking and forgot our gum boots. We stayed near the Botanic
Gardens in the heart of town.
We walked along the river through the gardens, along
the mangrove walk and over the river to South Bank via the fantastic
footbridge. We went to the Maritime Museum and saw a beautiful reconstruction
of a ship from the 1700's (more on that in another posting) and the kids made
their third visit to the Science Museum.
Since I took them the first two times, I volunteered
Max to take them this time. Max's eyes widened (it is a veeery noisy museum),
but as he slowly nodded, I hastily seized my moment. I hoofed it quick smart to
the Brisbane Museum of Contemporary Art to see the Valentino exhibit.
My sister had raved about it and declared it was well worth the $20.
I am NO fashion buff. But I do like to look at pretty
things and this was really sumptuous. My favourite piece was the ensemble
pictured.
Valentino | Evening gown (detail)
| Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2008, Model 184 | Strapless evening
gown made of silk voile appliquéd with silk voile ruffles and corollas
in graduated shades of pink; fabric: Clerici-Tessuto | Collection:
Valentino Archives | Photograph: Jean Tholance | View full image
I stood gazing at it shoulder to shoulder with several other women and made an an admiring comment to two older women near me. They smiled warmly. One replied, "It reminds me of the story of the woman
who wore a boring old grey coat everywhere. She looked very drab to everyone.
But when she opened her coat, the inside was a stunning red. But she rarely
showed anyone the inside."
"I suppose it reminds you not to judge a book by its cover..."
she continued. Then I realised something that hadn't dawned on me, that if you
closed this coat up, the outside would look gorgeous, but relatively plain-
as all the spectacular detail was on the inside. We chatted a bit longer and
the women moved away.
As I pondered the Grey Coat story I had just been told, I thought of
another very different coat story- the traditional Jewish folktale 'The Tailor'
or 'The Blue Coat'. I love best the version by UK teller Hugh
Lupton's on his 'The Story Tree' CD. I have recorded a version
inspired by and very similar to his retelling. It is a beautiful and simple
circle story, very easy to retell. It has many themes or layers to it
which can be explored: growing up, family love, the story of storytelling,
valuing possessions and even recycling. It works for all ages, but is
particularly fabulous for the very young. If you would like to read the script
of my retelling read below.
The Blue Coat
A Jewish folktale - closely based on the retelling by
Hugh Lupton
Long ago in a cold country in Europe- a country where you need a very
warm coat in the chilly months, a family had a little baby boy.
The grandfather of the baby was a tailor- someone who makes clothes for
a living. He bought some beautiful warm blue cloth and he stitched a big cosy
baby’s blanket for his grandson. With every stitch, the grandfather put his
love into the blanket. When that baby boy was wrapped in that blanket he felt
like he was being hugged, even when he was lying alone in his cot.
As the little boy grew, he learned to crawl and then toddle and then
walk and wherever he went he would drag that beautiful blue blanket with him.
One day, his mother shook her head and waggled her finger and she said
“Dear, dear, dear, that baby’s blanket is nearly worn out!
We’d better get it fixed.”
So they took it back to granddad.
He lay it on the table,
got out his best scissors,
cut out the best parts and fitted them together,
piecing one part to another part,
until he had made him a beautiful blue coat!
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Oh that boy, he loved that blue coat!
He wore it in the sunshine, he wore it in the rain.
He wore it in the wind and he wore it in the snow.
He ran and jumped and skipped and twirled in it.
He splashed through the puddles and he rolled in the mud.
Until one day… his mother she shook her head and she waggled her finger
and she said,
‘Dear, dear, dear. That blue coat is nearly worn out, we’d better get it
fixed.”
So they took it back to granddad.
He lay it on the table,
got out his best scissors,
cut out the best parts and fitted them together,
piecing one part to another part,
until he had made him a beautiful
waistcoat!
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Repeat the part between the lines replacing coat with waistcoat,
hat; bow-tie; button!
Until he had made him a beautiful story- a story of The Blue
Coat and
that boy told it to his friends and family...who told it to their
friends and family, who told it to me.
Now I’ve just told that story to you, so now you can tell it to your
friends and family-
