A CROOKED SIXPENCE
by Atha Westbury · from Australian fairy tales
Adapted Version
It was a cold, rainy day. Eddy sat under a big roof. He was wet and hungry. Big rain fell down. Eddy felt cold. He watched the street.
A big bus stopped. A Kind Man got off. He wore a big coat. The man dropped his money book. It fell on the wet ground. Eddy saw it.
Eddy picked up the money book. He ran after the man. The rain was very strong. "Sir, you dropped this!" Eddy called out. The man did not see Eddy at first. Eddy ran fast.
The Kind Man saw his money book. He was very happy. "Thank you, good boy!" he said. He gave Eddy a special coin. "Come to my office tomorrow. You can work for me."
Eddy looked at the coin. It was small. He felt a little sad. He bit the coin. "Ouch!" a voice cried out. Eddy dropped the coin.
The coin talked! Eddy was very surprised. "You hurt me," said The Talking Coin. "I am not bad. I want to help you. Do not say I am bad." Eddy felt sad.
"I am a special coin," said the coin. "I look old. But I can help you a lot. I will make you rich." Eddy listened closely.
"Put me in a teapot," said the coin. "Save other coins too. Small money can grow big. You can help your mother. She needs your help." Eddy smiled.
"Go to the man's office," said the coin. "Be honest. Work very hard. The man liked you. You were good. This will help you."
"I have seen many people," said the coin. "I have seen many things. I know much. I can help you learn. Listen to me."
Eddy felt happy now. He wanted to help his mother. He would follow the coin's words. He would work hard. He would save money.
Eddy worked hard and saved his money. He grew up a very kind man. He became a boss at a big company. He was important in his town. He always kept The Talking Coin safe. It helped him much. He was always happy.
Original Story
A CROOKED SIXPENCE.
Patter, patter, splash, splash, drip, drip, fell the rain on the housetops, down the waterspouts, and along the narrow streets of the New South Wales capital. A dismal evening to be abroad; the fierce wind playing antic tricks with the people returning home from work, by driving the rain full in their faces, turning their umbrellas inside out, and compelling many to seek temporary shelter beneath verandahs and the projecting gables of high buildings.
The tempest of wind and rain didn’t appear to trouble a small, dirty-looking urchin who had taken up his quarters in a sheltered nook at the corner of one of the main thoroughfares of the city, and where he crouched, watching the vehicles, with their gleaming lamps, dash onward through the mud and wet. The poor child’s clothes would have suited a warmer temperature than the keen wind and rain; but he indulged in an occasional short run beneath the portico to keep his blood in circulation. It was while taking his trot to and fro that the boy’s attention was attracted by the stoppage of an omnibus, which drew close up to the curb to allow an old gentleman to alight therefrom. He was a portly old fellow, buttoned up in a portly overcoat, and he carried a portly umbrella. The boy noted this by the light of the gas lamp as the passenger went by him, and he also noted a small dark object lying on the wet pavement, not a yard away, that was not there before.
“Hallo! What’s this? A pocket-book with money in it. That gentleman who passed has lost it. Hi, sir, hi!” And away ran the urchin in pursuit of the elderly gentleman. The little fellow overtook him, after a good chase against the pelting rain, which soaked his thin garments through and through. “I say, sir, hi!”
“Be off, boy! I never give to beggars,” said the old gentleman, turning round upon the lad briskly.
“I ain’t a beggar,” answered the little fellow with spirit. “I ran after you to know if yer lost anything just now.”
“Lost! lost! not a——I say, by Jove! you—you don’t mean to——why, if it is not gone, and I would not lose it for——”
The actions of the portly gentleman were somewhat singular. He first passed his hand hastily over the breast of his buttoned-up coat, then he threw down his open umbrella on the pavement—which the wind carried away in a moment—tore open his clothing violently, and dived into the recesses of a capacious inner pocket. Then he began a frenzied sort of war-dance in front of the boy. “I had it in my hand not ten minutes since,” he cried excitedly; “and I can swear to it before the Mayor and all the J. P.’s in the colony. Mark that.”
“Mark what, sir?”
“Why, I have told you—haven’t I? My pocket-book, full of——Ah! I see you have found it, my good, honest lad,” he went on, altering his tone, and recovering his composure as the child held out the bloated purse to its owner. “Full of documents, boy; of no use to anybody but me. Thank you for restoring it.”
He snatched at the recovered treasure, and hastily unfastened the clasp to see if any of its contents had been disturbed, revealing to the youth some of the documents, which appeared marvellously like bank-notes, and a good many of them.
“It’s all right, my little man. Stop! What is your name?”
“Eddy Wilkinson, sir.”
“Eddy Wilkinson, eh? Where d’ye live, boy? Where’s your father and mother?”
“Father’s dead; and we live in Baker’s Court, Redfern,” answered Eddy, turning to depart.
“Stay one moment. I like to encourage honesty. Honesty is the best policy, eh?” cried the old gentleman, fumbling in his vest pocket. “Here is sixpence for you, and to-morrow, if you call at the office of Balam Bros., Woolbrokers, York Street, I will consider about a further reward. Now run off home out of the wet.”
“It’s very mean of him, so it is, only to give me sixpence for finding such a lot of money,” muttered Eddy, as he trotted homeward through the storm. “Well, well, I must not grumble; sixpences are sixpences these ’ere times—so mother says. But what a thin, battered old coin it is!” he cried, holding it up beneath the glare of a gas lamp. “I believe it’s a bad one!” and the boy closed his sharp teeth on it the next moment.
“Oh dear! Oh!” shrieked a voice, which seemed to issue out of Eddy’s own mouth. The poor child dropped the coin instantly, and ran for his life; but he soon recovered from his surprise, and returned to where the sixpence lay on the shining flag in the full light of the street lamp.
“Surely it wasn’t you who cried out just now?” said Eddy, apostrophising it.
“Yes, it was, and you have hurt me very much, biting me in such a savage way,” replied the crooked sixpence reprovingly. “Here have I been rudely tossed and hustled from pouch to pocket, and hand to hand, to try and serve you, and you show your gratitude by saying I’m bad. For shame, Eddy Wilkinson.”
“Indeed, I’m very sorry, ma’am,” rejoined Eddy, astonished and trembling all over at the strange incident.
“I’m not of the feminine gender, Eddy. Don’t call me ‘ma’am,’ please.”
“Very well, sir,” apologised the boy.
“That’s worse; I’m not a gentleman.”
“What are you, then?” asked the lad, in an impatient tone.
“Neither one nor the other, yet I’m a little of both. If you turn me on this side, I’m a man; roll me over, and I’m a woman. Still I’m incongruous, and only a sixpence,” replied the coin.
“You’re very thin, and worn, and of no earthly use to anybody, I think,” said Eddy boldly, “except the banks, who are taking worn-out customers like you.”
“I shall prove very useful to you, Eddy, so don’t insult me. On me, thin as I am, you will build a stupendous fortune.”
“Oh, let us be joyful!” cried Eddy, shaking the rain from his rags.
“And when you grow to be a man, and are elected Mayor of this city,” added the sixpence, “you will wear me on your watchchain as a relic, to remind you of your first advanced step in life.”
“You old humbug! I’ve a good mind to pick you up and spend you at the confectioner’s over the way,” answered Eddy, laughing.
“They won’t have smooth money there,” rejoined the coin. “Take my advice, and put me in your pocket out of the wet. As you said just now, I’m very thin, and I can’t stand the rain.”
“What shall I do with you then?”
“Put me by in that old teapot in the cupboard at home until you get another of my race to keep me company,” answered the voice of the crooked sixpence earnestly. “Remember, boy, a penny saved is a penny gained, for it is by such small beginnings that people have amassed fortunes to benefit humanity, and by saving pennies and sixpences, little boys who have no fathers to work for them have been enabled to assist their widowed mothers and to make their home comfortable and happy.”
“That is quite true. I’m sure, I often wish I could keep my mother, who is always working,” answered the child in a sad tone.
“Your wish will be gratified, Eddy, if you only take my advice,” said the voice, in the same resolute accent. “You are ten years old, and you ought to begin to earn money. The gentleman whose purse you restored wants an office boy. When he sees you to-morrow he will employ you, because the prompt manner in which you returned his pocket-book has made a good impression on him. Be careful to maintain and strengthen that effort by being trustworthy, honest, and truthful; above all, never forget the old teapot in the cupboard, where I shall be ready to welcome every new-comer placed therein.”
“I’m so glad I’m going to work to help mother, and I’ll not forget what you have said to me,” replied the boy.
“I am fully aware of it, Eddy Wilkinson,” responded the voice modestly. “I have seen a great deal of human nature in my travels, and I have noted that people—both old and young—rarely forget what I say to them. You must know that I never came out of the Mint. I was born of a good old fairy family on the Queensland border. From my childhood I hated Money, and was constantly railing against it and its evil influences, until our chief, Fen, transformed me into a sixpence as a penalty for my abuse of Mammon. In less than a month I went from the dainty purse of the Governor’s lady to the dirty fob of a sweep. Once I was the only coin in the pocket of a poor solitary swagman travelling in the bush, who was attacked by a robber and foully murdered; but had you seen the murderer’s face after rifling my master’s pouch, and to find only me, you would have said, as I did, that crime brings its own punishment. Again, a very proud man dropped me on the pavement, and disdaining to stoop for me, there I lay for hours trampled by the crowd passing up and down. A poor, despairing, wretch, without a home, without a friend—without even the smallest means of procuring a meal—hurried with feverish haste through the by-ways of this great city, to end his life and his misery in the river; but he discovered me in his path. Weary and faint with long fasting, I supplied him with food and a night’s lodging. With the return of day came other thoughts and fresh resolves, and so the man was saved the awful act of self-destruction, and lived to bless the old crooked sixpence.”
And so did little Eddy Wilkinson, my dear children. The firm of “Balam Brothers & Wilkinson” is one of the most sound and thriving concerns in the colonies. The junior partner has just been elected to the civic chair of Sydney, and when he dies he intends to bequeath the crooked sixpence to the Museum.
Story DNA
Moral
Honesty, hard work, and saving even small amounts can lead to great success and a comfortable life.
Plot Summary
In a stormy Sydney, a poor boy named Eddy Wilkinson finds and honestly returns a lost pocket-book to a wealthy gentleman. As a reward, he receives a crooked sixpence, which surprisingly speaks to him, revealing itself to be a magical, sentient coin. The sixpence, having a rich history of its own, advises Eddy on the virtues of honesty, hard work, and saving, encouraging him to pursue a job offered by the gentleman. Following the coin's wisdom, Eddy grows up to become a highly successful businessman and Mayor of Sydney, attributing his fortune to the lessons learned from the crooked sixpence.
Themes
Emotional Arc
struggle to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects the social conditions of late 19th-century Australia, including poverty, the importance of honesty, and the opportunities for advancement in a growing colony.
Plot Beats (12)
- A young, poor boy named Eddy Wilkinson is sheltering from a fierce storm in Sydney.
- He observes a portly old gentleman alight from an omnibus and drop a pocket-book.
- Eddy retrieves the pocket-book and chases after the gentleman to return it, despite the rain and the gentleman's initial dismissal.
- The gentleman, realizing his loss, is relieved and grateful, offering Eddy a crooked sixpence and an invitation to call at his office for a potential job.
- Eddy is initially disappointed by the small reward and bites the sixpence, causing it to cry out in pain.
- The sixpence reveals itself to be a talking, sentient coin and reproaches Eddy for his ingratitude and for calling it 'bad'.
- The sixpence explains its nature, being neither male nor female, and asserts its future usefulness to Eddy despite its worn appearance.
- The sixpence advises Eddy to save it in an old teapot at home and to collect other coins, emphasizing that small beginnings lead to fortune and the ability to help his widowed mother.
- The sixpence encourages Eddy to take the office boy job, assuring him that his honesty has made a good impression, and stresses the importance of trustworthiness.
- The sixpence recounts its past life, detailing its origins as a fairy transformed into a coin, and its experiences with various owners, illustrating themes of crime, pride, and salvation.
- Eddy, inspired by the sixpence's wisdom and his desire to help his mother, resolves to follow its advice.
- The story concludes by revealing Eddy's future success: he becomes a junior partner in 'Balam Brothers & Wilkinson', is elected Mayor of Sydney, and plans to donate the crooked sixpence to a museum as a cherished relic.
Characters
Eddy Wilkinson ★ protagonist
Small and dirty-looking, thin build, suggesting poverty and lack of proper nourishment. His clothes are thin and soaked through by the rain, indicating they are not suitable for the harsh weather.
Attire: Thin, ragged clothes, likely made of coarse, worn fabric, ill-suited for the cold, wet weather of a New South Wales capital evening. No specific colors or styles are mentioned, but they are clearly inadequate.
Wants: To help his widowed mother and improve their living conditions. He desires to earn money and make their home comfortable and happy.
Flaw: Initially prone to grumbling and a bit impulsive (biting the coin), showing a lack of immediate gratitude or understanding of value beyond monetary worth.
Transforms from a grumbling, poor urchin into an honest, hardworking office boy, eventually becoming a successful junior partner in a thriving business and Mayor of Sydney, all by following the advice of the crooked sixpence.
Honest (returns the pocket-book), spirited (answers the old gentleman briskly), initially grumbling (about the sixpence), but ultimately earnest and willing to work (to help his mother). He is also curious and a bit bold (talking back to the sixpence).
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, thin boy, approximately ten years old, with a grimy face and sharp, curious eyes. His hair is dark and unkempt. He wears thin, patched, dark grey trousers and a threadbare, oversized brown jacket, both soaked and clinging to his frame. His expression is a mix of curiosity and slight weariness. He holds a thin, battered silver coin between his thumb and forefinger, examining it closely under an imagined gaslight. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Old Gentleman ◆ supporting
Portly build, suggesting a comfortable lifestyle. He is described as buttoned up in a portly overcoat, emphasizing his substantial figure.
Attire: A portly, buttoned-up overcoat, likely made of heavy wool in a dark color suitable for the weather. He carries a portly umbrella, indicating a well-dressed, respectable man of means in 19th-century New South Wales.
Wants: To recover his valuable pocket-book. He is driven by a desire to maintain his possessions and, subsequently, to encourage good moral behavior in others.
Flaw: Can be quick to judge (mistaking Eddy for a beggar) and prone to panic when his valuables are threatened.
Serves as a catalyst for Eddy's change, providing the initial opportunity. He doesn't change significantly himself, but his actions set Eddy on a new path.
Initially dismissive and brusque (mistaking Eddy for a beggar), then frantic and agitated when he thinks he's lost his pocket-book, but quickly recovers to be appreciative and encouraging of honesty. He values honesty and is willing to reward it.
Image Prompt & Upload
A portly adult man standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a round, clean-shaven face with a stern but fair expression, and short, neatly combed grey hair. He wears a dark, heavy wool overcoat, buttoned up, with a high collar, and dark trousers. He holds a large, dark, closed umbrella in one hand and a thick, leather pocket-book in the other. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Crooked Sixpence ◆ supporting
A very thin, battered, and worn silver coin, described as 'crooked' and 'smooth money' due to its age and use. It has a man on one side and a woman on the other, making it 'incongruous'.
Attire: N/A (it is an object)
Wants: To guide Eddy towards honesty, hard work, and financial prudence, ultimately helping him amass a fortune and benefit humanity. It also seeks to atone for its past 'abuse of Mammon'.
Flaw: Physically vulnerable to being bitten or lost, and sensitive to being called 'bad' or 'useless'. It cannot stand rain.
Serves as Eddy's mentor and guide, fulfilling its purpose of helping someone achieve success through honesty and saving. It remains a constant, wise presence throughout Eddy's rise.
Reproving, wise, earnest, modest, and resolute. It is a moral guide, critical of human failings (like biting it) but ultimately benevolent and encouraging of virtue.
Image Prompt & Upload
A single, very thin, battered, and slightly bent silver sixpence coin, approximately 19th-century Australian currency. One side clearly shows a worn but discernible profile of a man, and the other side a worn but discernible profile of a woman. The coin has a dull, aged metallic sheen. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Sydney City Street Corner
A narrow, main thoroughfare in the New South Wales capital, slick with rain and mud. Gas lamps cast a dim light, illuminating the wet pavement and the occasional vehicle. Verandahs and projecting gables of high buildings offer temporary shelter from the tempestuous wind and rain.
Mood: Dismal, bustling, harsh, yet with a glimmer of hope
Eddy finds the old gentleman's lost pocket-book and later, the talking crooked sixpence.
Image Prompt & Upload
A narrow, rain-slicked main thoroughfare in 1890s Sydney, Australia, at dusk. Gas lamps cast pools of warm, flickering light onto the wet cobblestone pavement, reflecting the passing horse-drawn omnibuses and the dark, imposing facades of Victorian-era buildings with their iron-lace verandahs and projecting gables. Rain streaks down, driven by a fierce wind, creating a blurred, atmospheric scene. The ground is muddy and reflective. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Eddy's Home in Baker's Court, Redfern
A humble, probably small and modest dwelling in Baker's Court, Redfern, likely a terraced house or cottage typical of working-class Sydney in the late 19th century. It contains a cupboard with an old teapot.
Mood: Humble, safe, hopeful, domestic
Eddy takes the sixpence home and is instructed by it to save money in the teapot, leading to his future success.
Image Prompt & Upload
A cozy, humble interior of a working-class Sydney cottage in Redfern, Australia, circa 1890. A simple wooden cupboard stands against a wall, its door slightly ajar revealing an old, patterned ceramic teapot on a shelf. The room is dimly lit by a single oil lamp or gaslight, casting warm shadows on the plain, perhaps wallpapered, walls and a worn timber floor. A small, well-used table and chairs are visible, suggesting a lived-in, modest home. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Office of Balam Bros., Woolbrokers, York Street
A professional office space in a commercial building on York Street, Sydney, likely bustling with activity related to wool brokerage. It would feature solid wooden desks, ledgers, and a formal atmosphere suitable for a successful business.
Mood: Professional, industrious, formal, a place of opportunity
Eddy secures his first job as an office boy, marking the beginning of his career.
Image Prompt & Upload
The interior of a busy woolbroker's office in York Street, Sydney, Australia, circa 1890. Sunlight streams through tall, sash windows, illuminating dust motes in the air and falling across sturdy, dark timber desks laden with stacks of ledgers, papers, and inkwells. Clerks and businessmen in period attire are engaged in their work. The room has a high ceiling, perhaps with decorative plasterwork, and a polished wooden floor. The atmosphere is one of industrious activity and established commerce. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
