Marble-ous return: Pinocchio's Toy Shop receives heartwarming apology

The owners of Pinocchio's Toy Shop in Paul Street got a pleasant surprise last week, when a marble that was taken by a boy from the shop was returned by post along with an adorable letter of apology.

“It was lovely, it made me smile,” owner Wyon Stansfield told the Cork Independent. While there have been incidents over the years where a child has taken an item from the shop and promptly forgets about it, this is the first time the shop has received a postal apology.

“We’ve had occasions where children walk out with something, then the parents suddenly realise and say ‘Oh my God’ and appear red-faced back at the door. But I don’t think anyone has ever written a letter and returned something like this. I imagine he took it home to his parents and said ‘Oh mum, look what I got!”

Wyon praised the boy's parents for encouraging him to send an apology and said the ordeal is likely to leave a lasting impression on him. “It’s good parenting on the part of his parents, and a lesson learnt. He’ll certainly remember it!’ he said.

Wyon said that Pinocchio's responded in kind, writing a letter to the young boy commending his honesty and character. “We wrote a letter back to him and told him that it takes a real man to own up to something and that he was welcome back any time.”

Despite the allure of screens and PlayStations, marbles remain a popular choice for children, says Wyon. "We still sell a lot of marbles, but they are more collectable marbles than the ones you play with. People still collect them in different sizes and colours." Wyon says that one of the most sought-after toys in the shop at the moment are Maileg mice, loved by both children and adults.

Now in its fourth decade of trading, Pinocchios is a much-loved Cork institution, opening its doors in 1983 with Wyon and Christel acquiring it in 1991. Wyon says that the shop's enduring charm is rooted in its distinctiveness. "We are relatively unique; it's an unusual shop wherever you come from," he said.