<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1264" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV> <DIV align=left>I came across this silly little story, = thought others might get a kick out of it.</DIV> <DIV align=left> </DIV> <DIV align=left>Rob Goodale, RPT</DIV> <DIV align=left>Las Vegas, NV</DIV> <DIV align=left> <HR> </DIV> <H1 align=center>The Runaway = Piano</H1>      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.      "What a = muddle!" Mrs Dick would grumble. "Why don’t you get rid of some of it?"      "Yes, yes, all = right my dear, I will," Mr Dick would murmur. But he never did.      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.      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."      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."      "I suppose = you’re right, my dear," sighed Mr Dick. "Nobody seems to want things like that = nowadays. I’ll see about it tomorrow."      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.      "Didn’t you = hear what Mr Dick said?" wailed Trumpel. "I’m going to be chopped up for firewood tomorrow."      "Why don’t = you run away?"      "How can I?" = cried the piano. "I may have legs, but I can’t move them."      "I wish I could = help," boomed Jumbo. "Real elephants are so strong. If only I could = move!"      A blue moon had = risen in the sky and was shining full on the white elephant. And in the magic = moonlight something wonderful happened.      "Look! Look at = Jumbo! He moved. I’m sure he moved!" squeaked Grey-Whisker Mouse = excitedly.      "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."      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.      "Oh no," = groaned Trumpel. "Now you’ve done it, Jumbo. You’d better escape while you = can."      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."      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.      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."      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.      Mr Dick was = just about to close his shop at dinner-time when a young man rushed in, clanging the doorbell.      "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.      "I heard you = have a piano for sale," said the young man. "Is it still here? Can I see = it?"      "Mr Dick will = let you have it cheap," said Mrs Dick hastily, "if you take that elephant as well."      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."      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.      "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!"      And do you know = - he was!</DIV></BODY></HTML>