ady Angela's Strange Basket

ome time ago Baron Von Lodge was the head of a small country near Switzerland known as Lilliland.

Sometimes Lady Angela liked to shop in the antique shops in Lilliland. She would dress in a slight disguise so as not to be noticed. During one such shopping trip, she bought a wicker basket about the size of a loaf of bread. It was lined loosely with a green velvet cloth. The basket was hinged so that it opened from either side.

When Lady Angela got back to her Alpine Castle, she placed the wicker basket in her bedroom as a decoration. The following morning when Lady Angela went over to the basket and looked into it, she found that it was not empty, as it was the night before. Instead, it had a small shiny object. It was of little value, but it did shine brightly in the rays of the morning sun. Lady Angela thought little of the incident.

Again the following morning, she looked into the wicker basket and found a small shiny gold coin inside. That gold coin was not in the basket the day before.

The third day, after the maid dusted Lady Angela looked into the basket, but this time, found nothing. The next morning, she looked again, but found nothing.

The fourth day, after the maid dusted, she found a bright blue stone in the basket.

Lady Angela wanted to share this unusual experience with the Baron but hesitant, lest he think that she had lost her mind, or something.

One day, while shopping in an old picture, frame, and poster shop, Lady Angela saw a poster for a magician and his magic show. The poster was very old, but the basket that the magician was holding looked just like the wicker basket in her bedroom. The objects that the magician was holding in his hand also looked very much like the items that she found in the basket.

Lady Angela got an idea and went back to the castle. If it was the magician’s magic basket, then it must have some secret lids in it.

Sure enough, when the basket was opened from one side, it looked empty, but when it was opened from the other side, there were secret compartments sewn into the velvet lining.

When the maid dusted her room, she probably moved the basket and replaced it with the other side to the front. And that solved the mystery.

Then she showed the wicker basket to the Baron.