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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Literature 101 </FONT><FONT =
face=Arial
size=2>Assignment:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What was the author's =
overall message
in this story?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Please explain how the different stages =
of life are
represented in the text.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial =
size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What do the characters, Mr. & Mrs. =
Dick,
represent?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>How would have Trumpel's reaction =
differed if he
believed in an afterlife?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Explain why the one-tusk elephant is
significant.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>:-)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Barbara Richmond, RPT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>still considering that graduate =
degree in
English</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>somewhere near Peoria, IL</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">
<HR>
</DIV>
<DIV>
<H1 align=center><FONT face="Comic Sans MS">The Runaway =
Piano</FONT></H1>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> There were so =
many
things in Mr Dick’s junk shop that he had quite forgotten what some =
of them
were. There were tables with funny legs, chairs with wobbly backs, =
beds with
broken springs and all kings of other useless items.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> "What a =
muddle!" Mrs
Dick would grumble. "Why don’t you get rid of some of =
it?"</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> "Yes, yes, =
all right my
dear, I will," Mr Dick would murmur. But he never did.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> Tucked away =
in a dark
and dusty corner, behind the shop door, was an old piano. It had once =
belonged
to a famous pianist and its name had been written across the front in =
gleaming
gold letter : ‘Trumpelmetzel’. But over the years the lettering =
had faded
until only the word ‘Trumpel’ remained.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> There was =
no-one to
play Trumpel now - only Grey-Whisker Mouse, who ran over the keys at
night-time. And there was no-one to listen to Trumpel’s music either =
- except
for Jumbo, the white wooden elephant with only one tusk, who stood =
near the
piano in the dark corner. He loved to hear the sounds that Trumpel =
made when
Grey-Whisker Mouse ran over the keys. "What wonderful music," he would =
say.
"Please Trumpel, let’s have that tune again."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> One day when =
Mrs Dick
was in the shop, she scolded Mr Dick yet again. "It’s about time you =
turned
out all this rubbish. That old piano should be chopped up for =
firewood. And as
for that dreadful white elephant - just look at it, it’s only got =
one
tusk."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> "I suppose =
you’re
right, my dear," sighed Mr Dick. "Nobody seems to want things like =
that
nowadays. I’ll see about it tomorrow."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> That night, =
when the
pale moonbeams were shining into Mr Dick’s shop, Grey-Whisker Mouse =
came out
to scamper over the piano’s ivory keys. But the piano played a very =
sad tune.
"What’s wrong Trumpel?" asked Grey-Whisker Mouse.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> "Didn’t you =
hear what
Mr Dick said?" wailed Trumpel. "I’m going to be chopped up for =
firewood
tomorrow."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> "Why don’t =
you run
away?"</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> "How can I?" =
cried the
piano. "I may have legs, but I can’t move them."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> "I wish I =
could help,"
boomed Jumbo. "Real elephants are so strong. If only I could =
move!"</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> A blue moon =
had risen
in the sky and was shining full on the white elephant. And in the =
magic
moonlight something wonderful happened.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> "Look! Look =
at Jumbo!
He moved. I’m sure he moved!" squeaked Grey-Whisker Mouse
excitedly.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> "Yes," boomed =
Jumbo,
"but I’ll have to act fast. This kind of magic only happens once in =
a blue
moon and doesn’t last long."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> The Piano =
started to
move, slowly at first, then fast and faster and faster until with a =
tremendous
crash it burst through the doorway and landed out in the =
street.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> "Oh no," =
groaned
Trumpel. "Now you’ve done it, Jumbo. You’d better escape while you =
can."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> At that very =
moment the
moon disappeared behind a cloud. "Oh dear," said Jumbo. "I knew this =
magic
wouldn’t last. I can’t move at all now."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> Lights came =
on in the
shops and houses round about, and soon people were running up the =
street. Mr
Dick rushed downstairs to see what had happened. "How did the piano =
get
there?" he said, rubbing his eyes. "And that elephant!" With a =
neighbor’s
help, Mr Dick carried the piano and the elephant back into the shop. =
Then,
still feeling very puzzled, he went to bed.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> Next morning, =
the story
of the night’s strange happenings soon spread through the town. One =
neighbor
told another that Mr Dick’s shop had been broken into - and someone =
else
suggested that he must have some really priceless antiques. When Mrs =
Dick
heard this suggestion, she said, "Oh yes, he has, oh of course he has. =
He has
lots of priceless antiques."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> After that, =
people
began coming in to the shop, first in ones and twos, then in threes =
and fours,
eager to have the pick of Mr Dick’s priceless antiques. Soon there =
was almost
nothing left for Mr Dick to throw out or chop up. But still no-one =
seemed to
want the old piano or the white wooden elephant with only one =
tusk.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> Mr Dick was =
just about
to close his shop at dinner-time when a young man rushed in, clanging =
the
doorbell.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> "What can I =
do for you,
young sir?" asked Mr Dick. He recognized the young man as a music =
student who
lived in a tiny little room down the street.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> "I heard you =
have a
piano for sale," said the young man. "Is it still here? Can I see
it?"</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> "Mr Dick will =
let you
have it cheap," said Mrs Dick hastily, "if you take that elephant as
well."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> The young man =
hesitated. He was not sure that he had room for an elephant as well as =
a
piano. He ran his fingers thoughtfully over Trumpel’s keys. "I do =
like the
sound it makes." Then he looked at the white elephant. "All right. The =
elephant goes with the piano. I’ll take them both."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> Jumbo was so =
happy -
and so was Trumpel! And inside the piano Grey-Whisker Mouse did a =
little dance
for joy - for he had no intention of being left behind by his two
friends.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> "You won’t =
regret it,
young man," said Mr Dick. "This piano used to belong to a famous =
pianist. So I
am sure that with its help you too will be famous one day!"</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"> And do you =
know - he
was!</FONT></P></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>