In a faraway land.... - 29 Nov 2004

...some years ago, a small group of people gathered.

They had seen that there were many very Poor people who had to make thousands of garments day after day after day just to earn enough money to rent a Leaky Shack and have one Bowl of Rice to eat each day.

These garments were taken away to another country, branded, and sold in Glossy Shops for a Small Fortune. These people couldn't believe that this happened, Poor people with dignity being used as lifeless machines.

As they talked, they decided to do something to show that this wasn't Right and Just.

They decided to make an Enormous Dress. This Dress would be made with squares of fabric upon which thousands and thousands of people expressed their sadness and concern. It would show Influencers that something had to be done to stop this exploitation.

As time passed, they happened upon a girl with an Insatiable  Appetite for sewing. She was so excited when she heard what they were doing that she put down what she was carrying and leapt into the Idea.

The Idea grew and grew as more and more people heard about it. In the Idea, the Big Dress became a Marquee, it visited the furthest reaches of the kingdom and many people saw its message. Change took place and
the Poor were given back their rightful dignity and worth.

As the Idea unfolded into Reality, many Amazingnesses and  Challenges happened. One of the Challenges was gathering  enough gold to make the Marquee for the Dress which was a Costly Task requiring Great Skill. So the girl with the Insatiable Appetite decided to do a very Strange Thing (not unusual for this particular girl).

It was to pierce her tongue and ask people to Sponsor her either to do this, or not to do this. She needed to raise several thousand pounds. If most of the people she asked thought she should do it, and gave more than those who thought she should not, she knew she would have to be pierced.

This would mean no longer doing things she so very much enjoyed, like licking magnets, kissing and sticking her
tongue out (for fear of frightening little children). If, however, people who thought she shouldn't gave more than those who thought she should, she knew she could be saved from this potential disaster.

If you would like to sponsor Hannah either way, that would be amazing. Each side (to Pierce or Not to Pierce) has the opportunity to be successful. The resulting piercing (or not) depends on which side has more sponsorship by the end of 2 weeks from now.

For more stories about the Big Dress look at www.speak.org.uk ( Speak are one of 24-7 UK's partners)

For more stories about the tongue, talk to Hannah -email Hannah Housman, big dress co-ordinator: [email protected]