A SOLO AND A SECRET.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 249, 21 October 1933, Page 3 (Supplement)

A SOLO AND A SECRET.

The boys and girls in Miss Marshall s room were to give an entertainment foi tlie other grades. Rodney was the only boy in Miss Marshall's room who could play the piano. When he played and saner "The Elephants' Parade" you could almost see the great grey creatures tramping alopg. "I'll sit at the piano 011 the plattorm all by myself," Rodney said to his mother. "1 know that the children will clap for me." , „. Bettv Ann was to do a dance. Her shiny black slippers made a little tune, i "tap-tappity-tap," as they tripped back j and forth. Tommy would recite a long poem about the King's Breakfast. Joan and Bob and Emily were to sing about the clock, and make the "tick-took with their tongues. A group of children would plav in the Rhythm Band. But poor Billy had nothing to do. He was too clumsy -to daijce. He couldn t even remember the shortest poem. Ho couldn't make the tick-tock. In the Rhythm Band he was either too fast or too slow. .. - When thev went in the big halls to practise, Billy sat and watched the others. And he wished, oh, much, that he could sing or dance or recite. Then Rodney played and sang his piece,'and how the children clapped! When he came down to his seat again he saw Billy looking at him. . "Billy wants to bo iu the entertainment, too," thought Rodney, "but there isn't anything that he can do. I'm glad that I have something to do, all by myself. Won't it be fine when Miss Marshall says 'The Elephants' Parade, played and sung by Rodney Blake ?" But instead of the elephants, ho kept thinking about Billy. After school he passed Billy in the hall, and he was humming a song. Rodney looked after him, surprised. «Why—there is something that J3iny could do!" ho thought. "But I want to be all by myself." Still, when he got home, he talked witn mother about a plan. _ n "I'm glad you thought of doing that, said mother. Next day after school Rodney called to Billy. . ' .. "Come home with me, Billy, he said. "I have a secrct to tell you." They went homo together, and Billy stayed a long time at Rodney's house. When lie went away he looked very morning Rodney told Miss Marshall the secrct. She smiled, and wrote something on her programme. Then they went into the big hall, and the entertainment began. Betty Ann danced, tap-tappity-tap. The tick-tock made the children laugh, and the Rhythm Band played. All the time Billy watched and waited, for he knew that something pleasant would happen. lie smiled across at lioclney, because they had a secret together. Then Rodney walked up on the platform, too, and stood besido the piano. All tho children stared. Billy couldn t remember, or keep so what was he doing there? Then Miss Marshall said: "The last number is 'The Elephants' Parade.' It is played by Rodney Blake and sung by Billy Whitney." f Rodney began to play and Billy began to sing. Ho kept time, and he remembered every word about the elephants. And how the children clapped! "Why, Billy, we didn't know that you could sing so well!!" they said when he sat down. "Rodney taught me his song, said Billy. "It's fun to do things by yourself, thought Rodney, "but I'm glad, very glad, that I shared 'The Elephants' Parade' with Billy."