Hugo’s First Bowl

Hugo has always wanted to try pottery, so he signs up for a six-week course at the arts centre. On the first evening, the teacher, Mrs Lowe, shows the group the clay. “Too much water is bad,” she says. “Too little water is bad.”

Hugo’s first bowl looks more like a hat. It is too tall and too thin. “Don’t worry,” Mrs Lowe says. “When you make the next one, you will know what to avoid.” She explains that the bowls dry very slowly, and nobody can paint them until they are completely dry.

At the end of the class, Mrs Lowe puts all the bowls in a special oven. “I’ll send you a message when they are ready,” she promises. “You can collect them on Saturday.”

The message arrives on Friday night. Hugo opens the studio door at nine on Saturday morning, and his bowl is waiting on the shelf. It is very uneven and a bit too heavy, but it is his own. “When I get home, I’ll put some fruit in it,” he thinks.

He decides to sign up for the next course. “Practise every week and you improve very quickly,” Mrs Lowe says. Hugo smiles. He already has a small notebook for his mistakes.