Ali has just arrived in the country of lovely stories.
Everyone is very anxious to get to know him, for he comes from the tropical forest.
Ali chooses his musical instrument
« … »
Lucien
“What is a tropical forest?” asked Lucien, who is curious about everything. “Are there bears?”
Ali
Oh no,” replied Ali. “It’s too hot. But there are lots of birds and butterflies of all different colors.”
Juliette
“So what?” said Juliette, who is always giving her opinion. “You can see pretty colored birds at the zoo. You don’t have to go to a tropical forest.”
Ali
“That’s true,” answered Ali. “But in the tropical forest there are no cages. Everyone is free.”
“Just at that moment Lola went by on her skateboard”
Just at that moment Lola went by on her skateboard playing the flute. She was late for the orchestra rehearsal.
Ali
“I’d like to play in the orchestra too,” declared Ali.
Juliette
“But you don’t play an instrument,” said Juliette.
Ali
“But I want to,” cried Ali. “I want to and that’s enough.”
Lucien
“Not quite,” answered Lucien, who is very reasonable. “But let’s go to a music store. You can choose any instrument you want.”
Before going to the store with his friends, Ali went home to tell his mother where he was going.
Ali's Mom
“If you find something you can play, I’ll come buy it for you,” she said. “But I warn you, no drums.”
Ali went to the music store with his friends Lucien, Juliette and Lola. There were clarinets, trumpets, flutes, saxophones, tubas, violins…everything you can find in an orchestra.
Ali began by picking up the tuba. It was very heavy and when he blew into it, it went Ummm pahh pahh ummm pahh pahh.
Ali
“That’s not music,” he declared.
Juliette
“Here, this is lighter,” said Juliette. And she gave him a triangle. “You won’t have any trouble carrying it.”
Ali
“But it only makes one note,” said Ali, disappointed. “That’s no fun. And the triangle doesn’t play very often in a concert. I’ll get bored.”
Lucien
“Here, try the violin,” suggested Lucien.
“It’s not too heavy and violins play all the time. You’ll never get bored.”
Ali picked up the violin and Juliette, who knows how to do everything, showed him how to place it under his chin and hold the bow. But when he tried to play, everyone put their fingers in their ears, because Ali could only make a screeching noise…screeeeeeee screeeee.
Ali
“I think it’s not easy to play the violin,” declared Ali. “Let’s try something else.”
There was a piano in the store and all the children sat down on the bench. They played a lovely tune for eight paws, but they knew very well that Ali’s house was too small for a piano. And a piano costs a lot of money.
Lola went around the store on her skateboard, looking at all the instruments.
Lola
“Here’s one you haven’t tried,” she said, pointing at the trumpet.
The salesman showed him the trumpet and explained to Ali how to play notes by pushing on the keys. Ali blew into the trumpet. Toot toot toot. He liked the sound it made. By pushing on the keys, he could play a tune. Da da da di da. Ali was so proud. He walked around the store blowing into the trumpet and all his friends followed him.
Ali went running home, followed by his friends. When they arrived at Ali’s house, his mom offered them smoothies made with tropical fruit. Everyone thought they were delicious.
Ali explained to his mother that he had chosen a trumpet and that he was really good at playing it. She agreed to buy it, but she preferred that he go into the forest to play it. A trumpet does make a lot of noise.
So now Ali also plays in the orchestra.
When Lola goes by his house on her way to the orchestra rehearsal, he jumps on her skateboard and throughout the village you can hear toot toot ti toot. But since he plays so well, it doesn’t bother anyone.
