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!
Story Time � 1984-1989 by Rubicon Press CC