"Stand back!" Wolfie shouted at the leopard. "I havea sword! And I'm not afraid to use it!""Oh, brother," whispered Jack. There was no wayWolfie's tiny sword could ward off the huge leopard.
But if Jack and Annie rushed in to rescue Wolfie, theleopard might leap up and attack him.
Annie nudged Jack's arm. She pointed at the pocketof his coat. She held up her hands, pretending to playa flute.
Jack had forgotten all about their magic flute! Heremembered Teddy's words: Playing this flute willdeliver you from danger.
69But what can the flute do?Jack wondered. How canit help us?He reached into his pocket and pulled outthe flute anyway.
"You play--just blow over the mouthpiece,"whispered Annie. "I'll make up a song. Remember,whatever I sing will come true."Jack nodded and held up the magic flute. Itglistened in the light of the moon. Jack wasn't sure hewas holding it right, but he hoped it wouldn't matter.
He closed his eyes and blew gently across themouthpiece.
Music streamed from the silver instrument! Thepure sound wafted through the air like a feather onthe wind. The melody was simple, yet beautiful.
Annie started singing, making up a song:
Leopard, hey, leopard,Listen to our sound.
The leopard turned its head and looked at Jack andAnnie. It pricked up its spotted ears.
6970follow me, follow me, follow me and the clown.
Clown? thought Jack. 7s that me? He didn't loveAnnie's choice of words, but he didn't have time toworry about it. The leopard rose to its feet and beganwalking toward Jack and Annie.
Jack was so scared that he almost turned and ranaway. But he didn't dare. He knew that as soon as hestopped playing the flute, the magic would end.
Annie tugged on Jack's sleeve, and they startedwalking slowly down the path, back toward thepalace. The leopard padded silently after them asAnnie kept singing:
Wolfie, hey, Wolfie,Jump down, jump down...
follow me, follow me, follow me and the clown.
Without a word, Wolfie bravely hopped down fromthe tree. He followed the leopard, Jack, and71Annie. They all walked down the path between thetrees. Jack had no idea where they were going. Heonly knew that he should keep playing, Annie shouldkeep singing, and they should all keep moving.
Jack heard branches breaking. He heard gruntingand snorting. The giant bear lumbered out frombehind some trees. But Jack kept playing, and Anniekept singing:
Bear, hey, Sear,No need to frown.
Follow me, follow me,Follow me and the clown.
The bear followed Jack, Annie, the leopard, andWolfie down the path. The moonlight grew brighterand brighter. The magic music was making the nightas bright as day!
Next the hyena's laugh rippled through the air.
WHOOP-WHOOP!The hyena slunk out from behinda tree trunk.
72Jack kept playing, and Annie kept singing:
Hyena, hey, hyena,We 're glad you've been found.
follow me, follow me, follow me and the clown.
The hyena joined the parade.
More creatures appeared: the gazelle and the ostrichand the peacock. Annie sang to them as Jack playedthe magic flute:
Hey, gazelle! Hey, ostrich!
Hey, bird with a crown!
follow me, follow me, follow me and the clown.
The animals all joined the parade. Jack heardWolfie laughing with joy. He looked back and sawthe little boy waving his arms as if he wereconducting the magic music, a big grin on his face.
Jack kept playing, and Annie kept singing:
All creatures who fly, fly after this tune.
73All creatures who walkWalk under the moon.
All creatures who crawl,Crawl over the ground.
follow me, follow me,Follow me and the clown.
Baboons and bunnies, snakes and squirrels, lizardsand foxes--all the ordinary and extraordinarycreatures in the woods followed Jack and Annie. Onthe other side of the wide square, candles twinkled inthe rear windows of the palace. Jack wondered wherehe should lead all the wild creatures. Where was thezoo? How could he and Annie get the animals backinto their cages?
But Annie had anotheridea, as she sang:
To your forests and plains,Where you're all free to roam,To your lands near and far,Go home now, go home...
Go home now, go home ...
Go home now, go home...
76As Annie sang the last words over and over, thecreatures began to vanish into thin air. The leopard,bear, hyena, ostrich, gazelle, peacock, baboon, andcrane all disappeared. Soon, the only animals left inthe woods were the ones that belonged there.
Annie stopped singing, Jack stopped playing, andWolfie stopped waving his hands. The bright lightfaded to silver moonlight, and the cats, squirrels, andbunnies scampered off into the dark. The gardenbecame quiet and peaceful again, except for thechirping of crickets.
"Where did the wild animals go?" asked Wolfie.
"Home," Annie said simply.
Jack put the flute back in his pocket and heaved asigh. "Good work," he said to Annie. "But did youhave to keep calling me a clown?"Annie giggled. "Sorry, but 'clown' sounds good withso many other words.""I'm glad they went home," said Wolfie. "I wantedthem to be free."77"Listen, Wolfie," said Jack. "Don't ever, everagaintry to free animals from a zoo. Someone could havegotten hurt!""I'm sorry," said Wolfie. "I promise I'll never do itagain. But how did you make them follow you?""It wasn't us," said Annie. "It was our music.""Was it magic?" asked Wolfie.
"Yes, as a matter of fact it was," said Annie.
"Music ismagic," said Wolfie thoughtfully. "I lovemusic.""Cool," said Jack.
"I reallylove it!" said Wolfie.
"Uh ... good," said Jack.
"I love it more than anything!" said Wolfie. Hewhirled around, clapping his hands and dancing forjoy.
What a weird kid,thought Jack.
As Wolfie twirled, the palace clock sounded: bong,bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong.
"Seven," said Annie. "Seven o'clock."Wolfie stopped twirling and stumbled dizzily.
78"Oh, no! I must go!" he cried. "I will be late!" Wolfiegrabbed Jack and Annie. "Come with me! You have tocome with me!""Uh, okay," said Jack. Why is Wolfie so frantic?hewondered.
Wolfie pulled Jack and Annie toward the palace.
"Hurry! I cannot be late!" he cried.
"Late for what?" said Jack.
Before Wolfie could answer, someone called hisname. "Wolfie! Where are you?" It was Nan. She wasstanding on the back terrace of the palace. "Wolfie!"she called again.
"Coming!" shouted Wolfie. "Poor Nan! She iswaiting for me! Papa is waiting for me! The wholeworld is waiting for me!" |