William Snowfield, the father Maroon dog, owns the jewelry and clock shop. The little shop sits right on the main street in downtown Sylvania. Will buys gold and rare gems from all over the world and turns them into beautiful pieces of jewelry, including the wedding ring that Morris Sweetwater gave to his bride. Besides jewelry, he also sells fine watches and clocks, and repairs them if they break. Mayor Waddlington is always stopping in to the little shop, as he has a habit of winding his pocket watch too far!
Will and his wife Aurora and their three children live very comfortably in the urban corner of Sylvania. And no wonder. . . the jewelry that Will sells in his shop is very expensive!
One fine spring day Jack Meadows, a farmer who lived on the edge of town, was in the jewelry shop admiring a very beautiful pearl necklace that was in the glass case. Will shook his head and smiled, it had to have been the hundredth time Jack had come in the store to look at the necklace. Will came over to Jack and removed the pearl necklace from the case for Jack to look at once again.
“Still have your eye on it, I see,” Will said courteously.
“Of course,” said Jack, “my wife Maisie would look so beautiful in it. And tomorrow is our anniversary. I would dearly love to give it to her as an anniversary gift.” Then Jack’s happy expression faded as he again looked at the price tag. He put the necklace down on the counter.
“But, I still haven’t saved enough money,” Jack continued sadly. “I am taking some wheat to Percy Beagle at the bakery tonight. But even if I get a good price for my wheat, I still don’t think it will be enough.”
“I’m very sorry to hear that,” stated Will not wanting to lose the sale, “perhaps there is another piece of jewelry you would like to give your wife? I have some lovely silver earrings that just arrived.”
“Thank you, Will, but I will have to pass. Perhaps I can save enough to buy it for her birthday.” Jack continued to finger the necklace as it lay on the counter. He imagined Maisie’s overjoyed face when she saw the necklace and how beautiful she would look wearing it. No, he thought, no other gift will do. Somehow he must get this necklace to give to his wife.
Suddenly, Alaska Snowfield, Will’s little daughter and youngest of the Snowfield family, came running into the store from the backroom. She was barely five years old, and loved to play dress-up. Like always, she was wearing an old fancy dress, a huge sunhat with flowers on it, and her mother’s good shoes. Clomp, clomp, clomp went the shoes as she ran up to her father.
“Daddy, I want a diamond ring! I mean . . . please may I have a diamond ring?” Will laughed as he scooped his daughter up. Jack had to laugh too, Alaska was certainly one of the cutest children in Sylvania. Will reached under the counter and pulled out a little box of toy plastic rings that he often gave to children when their parents bought something in the store. Alaska picked out a little ring with a clear plastic stone that looked like a diamond. She threw her arms around her father’s neck and thanked him. Then she looked down and happened to see the pearl necklace still laying on the counter.
“Oh, pretty,” she cooed, as Will and Jack began to talk about the price of wheat and other things.