MODERN FABLES, Courteous, Ch. 21, Recital

 CHAPTER 21: RECITAL

"Are you nervous?" Tess asked her friend May Lee shortly before May's piano recital at the local music school.

"Not really. I've practiced this piece many, many times."

"Where's your sheet music?"

"We can't use it. We have to know it by heart."

Tess Williams and her mother had come to this little recital that Wednesday evening mostly to hear May play. There were a dozen students in the program, ranging from first grade to twelfth.

The audience consisted of parents, brothers and sisters, and friends. The youngest students would play for a few minutes or less, with sheet music. The older ones were to play longer, more difficult pieces without sheet music.

"Mom, what's this 'Etude by Chopin'?" Tess asked. This is what May was scheduled to play.

"It's pronounced 'AY-tude by SHOW-pan.' 'Etude' is French for 'Study,' and Frederic Chopin was a famous composer of classical piano pieces. I think you'll like it. I hope so."

The children played, with the audience applauding after each piece. The pieces got more difficult as the program went on. May seemed to play perfectly, as did most of the others.

After the recital, there were refreshments: juice and cookies for the kids, and coffee or tea for the adults. May and her parents, Dr. and Mrs. Lee, came over to talk with Tess and Mrs. Williams.

"You were wonderful," Mrs. W. told May.

"Thank you. Almost perfect. One C that should have been C-sharp."

"It sounded perfect to us," Tess said.

"How long has May been studying piano?" Mrs. Williams asked her parents.

"Six years, since first grade, and she'll continue through twelfth grade," Mrs. Lee replied with pride. She could have added that Asian-American parents often strongly encourage their children to study a musical instrument, such as the violin or the piano.

The piano teacher, Mrs. Gilbert, came over to the group. "I hope you enjoyed the recital. I was pleased with the performances."

Dr. Lee commented, "We thought May did beautifully, and we appreciate your very skilled teaching."

Mrs. Gilbert responded, "I understand that her mother is a very good pianist, too."

Mrs. Lee blushed. "You're too generous."

Tess's mother added, "They say, 'like father, like son,' but here I'd say, 'like mother, like daughter.'"

May didn't want a big fuss made over her. She mentioned again that she hadn't played quite perfectly.

"Some say 'practice makes perfect,'" Mrs. Gilbert said, "but we say, 'perfect practice makes perfect.' May is an excellent student."

Mrs. Williams smiled at May Lee and her parents and her teacher. "We think May is terrific. You must be doing something right!"

---

May Lee continued studying piano through high school. Six years after that first recital Tess attended, May performed with a community orchestra soon after she graduated. That night, Tess asked May the same question she'd asked six years before: "Are you nervous?"

"Very!" May replied. Despite that, she played beautifully and received a standing ovation at the end. She had risen to the challenge.

 Moral: Class tells. Modesty is courtesy. 

MODERN FABLES, Courteous, Ch. 20, "On Time or Else"

                                           CHAPTER 20: ON TIME OR ELSE

"Rick, what's the matter?" Tess asked at dinner that night.

"Oh, nothing."

"Sure, there is," his dad commented. "You've been glum since I got home."

His mother put her hand on his shoulder. "What's bothering you?"

"I got a letter saying I won't be considered for Trailblazers' Camp counselor this summer because I sent my application two days late. It doesn't seem fair."

His dad looked up from his meal. "Why don't you think it was fair?"

"I was only two days late. How much difference can that make?"

Tess wanted to know why he was late at all.

"They required an essay, and it took longer than I planned to get it just right."

This sparked a conversation that lasted quite a while. His dad told Rick about missing out on a college scholarship because he sent his application a day or two late, and how it taught him a lesson he never forgot. Mrs. Williams commented that she had to be at school before classes started each day, and that deadlines were important. She said she was strict about deducting points for late papers in her classes.

Tess thought the camp was being too strict, but both parents agreed that deadlines are needed and that it's unfair to let others send their applications late without penalty, even though they mailed theirs on time.

Mr. Williams added, "The other thing about this is that you either didn't give yourself enough time, or you fussed over the essay too much. While it's good to do careful work, nothing is ever quite perfect, and sometimes close enough is good enough."

Mrs. Williams offered to help Rick with the next essay he needed to write, but Rick said he didn't want someone else to do what he was responsible for, although he'd appreciate it if she read it over once he was done to help him catch any errors.

By this time, Tess and Tim felt left out of the conversation and headed into the living room to watch television. They were sorry to discover that the long dinner conversation meant they'd arrived late for their favorite program. Tess and Tim both agreed that next time, "On time…or else!"

Moral: Don't waste other people's time by being late yourself. 

MODERN FABLES, Courtesy, Ch. 19, Don"t Cut Off Your Nose

 

CHAPTER 19: DON’T CUT OFF YOUR NOSE

 

"What's the matter, dear?" Mr. Williams asked his wife at dinner that evening.

"Oh, nothing."

"Sure, there is. I can tell."

"Well…I wrote an article for that teachers' magazine, and they're not going to print it."

"Why not?"

"Said it was too serious."

"Was it?"

"I didn't think so."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll write them and tell them I don't agree."

"If you want them to print the next thing you send, you'll need to be very courteous."

"I know. I won't 'burn my bridges' with them, although I may never send them another one."

"What does 'burning your bridges' mean, Mom?" Tess asked.

"Long ago, bridges were made of wood rather than steel and concrete. When an army crossed into enemy territory, they sometimes left guards at the bridges to prevent the enemy from using them. Other times, they burned bridges so they couldn't be used again. But that meant they couldn't use them either if they had to retreat."

"So, with people, it means don't make them into enemies, because you may need their help later," Tess replied.

"Exactly," her mother said. "Still, I'm angry they didn't print this. I think I won't send them anything more."

"Who will you hurt more that way, them or you?" Rick asked.

"Good question, Rick," Mr. W. said. "Your mother may wish she could still write for them. It could be a case of 'cutting off your nose to spite your face.'"

"What?" asked Tim.

"Sounds painful!" Tess added.

"Dad means that sometimes when we try to hurt someone else, we hurt ourselves more instead," Mrs. W. explained.

"Shouldn't Mom stick up for herself?" Rick asked his father.

"Sure. Mom can write a polite letter or give them a call, keeping in mind that 'a soft answer turns away wrath.' Speaking gently often keeps others from getting angry."

Mrs. Williams decided to heed both "silence is golden" and "turn the other cheek." She made her next article a little less serious, and it was printed. The magazine was pleased, and so was she. She had succeeded…and she had not cut off her nose to spite her face.

https://youtu.be/GZC3q_jAomk

MODERN FABLES, Courteous, Ch. 18, "Are You Gonna Wear That?"

 CHAPTER 18: “ARE YOU GONNA WEAR THAT?”

Nearly ready to go to Jane's house that Saturday afternoon, Tess came downstairs, where her brother Rick looked at her a little strangely.

"You gonna wear that to Jane's house?"

"Yes."

"No, she's not," her mother said, pointing to the holes in Tess's blue jeans. "Not in those pants."

"But, Mom…."

"No 'buts' about it, Tess. You can look like a ragamuffin playing football or basketball outside, but I won't have you going to your friend's house looking like a bum."

"But, Mom…."

"People judge you partly by how you look, how you dress. Daddy wears a uniform at work to show he's an EMT with the Fire Department. I dress up to teach at school. When you go to someone's home, it shows respect not to look sloppy."

"But, Mom…."

"Don't you brush your hair before you go out?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Tess thought for only a few seconds. "I don't want to look messy."

"Right. The same goes for how you dress. It should fit the occasion. People treat well-dressed people better, and dressing appropriately is part of that. When you get married, you'll probably be telling your husband how to dress, and you'll probably want to dress so he thinks you look good, too."

"Oh, Mom…."

The tempest in a teapot blew over. Tess put on a better pair of jeans, went to her girlfriend's house, and returned home shortly before dinner. That evening, Tess, Rick, and Tim were eating alone, because their parents were going to a Fire Department banquet.

Mrs. Williams looked very pretty in her dress for the evening, Tess had to admit.

Mr. Williams came downstairs in slacks, a blazer, a striped tie, and a plaid shirt.

Mother and daughter looked at each other, aghast at the clash between the stripes and plaid, and said together,

"You gonna wear that?"

Moral: Friends don't let friends look foolish. 

MODERN FABLES, Helpful, Ch. 17, Tickled Pink

                                                CHAPTER 17: TICKLED PINK

"When the cat's away, the mice will play." So goes an old saying. In this case, the cat was Mrs. Williams, out of town for three days at a teachers' conference. The mice were Tess, May, and Emma, and they were going to paint Tess's bedroom pink. Pizza and sodas were also involved in the plan.

"Dad, can I paint my room?" Tess asked her father.

"Why?"

"It's boring!"

"A room can be boring?"

"Mine is."

"Who will buy the paint?"

"I will, with my allowance."

"Will you have help?"

"Yes, May and Emma will come."

"Why will they help?"

"They're good friends…and we'll have pizza."

"We should ask your mother, but she's not here. I guess it's okay."

Where Mr. Williams fell short was in not asking what color the room was going to become. He should have stopped reading his newspaper and asked that important question.

When Mrs. W. called home that night, her husband forgot to mention the painting party. He did ask her how the meetings were going and listened more than he talked. When the phone call ended, he felt he should have told her, but they'd be talking the next evening.

The next day, there was no school. Emma and May showed up dressed in old clothes, ready to paint. First, everything had to be moved out of Tess's room. With help from Rick and Tim, the crew got the furniture out and spread newspapers on the floor. Then the girls took over.

Midway through the project, they took a pizza-and-soda break. After that, Rick and Tim looked in on the partly painted room. "Pink?" Rick asked.

"Pink!" Tess replied.

"Oh," said Tim, who preferred red or blue or even white.

Rick thought they were doing a good job so far. "Well begun is half done," he said, happy to have a chance to quote an old saying.

The girls finished up, opened the windows, and closed the door to air out the room. Tess slept on the living room couch that evening.

Mrs. Williams called that night, too. After she told her husband what had happened at the meeting, Mr. W. mentioned the painting project.

"What color is it?" she asked.

"Pink."

"What kind of pink? Dark pink, hot pink, pastel pink?"

"I don't know. Pink pink."

"Are there any stripes or polka dots?"

"No."

"So it could have been worse."

The next day, Tess, Rick, and Tim moved Tess's stuff back into her room, shortly before their mother returned.

"Close your eyes, Mom," Tess said, having closed the door to her bedroom. After her mother closed her eyes, Tess opened the door.

"Ta da! Open your eyes," Tess said.

Mrs. W. opened them. "Not a bad color. Better than I feared. Quite good, in fact. Goes well with the curtains. I like it. I really do. Congratulations!"

You could say Mom was "tickled pink."

When told of his wife's approval, Mr. Williams sighed a contented sigh and returned to reading the newspaper. Was he tickled pink, too? Hard to tell.

 

 Moral: There is no disputing taste, or its absence, but help is almost always appreciated.

 

MODERN FABLES, Friendly, Ch. 16, The Almost Date

                                            CHAPTER 16: THE ALMOST DATE

"Mom, Eddie wants to take me to the circus. It's in town at Bradley Field this week. Can we go?"

"Eddie who?"

"Eddie Gomez, the boy who walked me home when those guys in the convertible were bothering me."

"Sounds like a date. I doubt your father will agree to it. You're awfully young to be dating."

"But there'll be lots of other kids there our age. It's not exactly a date. Nothing bad will happen. If Dad agrees, is it okay?"

"I'll have to think about it."

When Tess asked her father, he said he'd have to talk it over with her mother. After the kids went to bed, Mr. and Mrs. W. discussed it. Tess was changing from a tomboy to a young woman, in mind and body. An interest in boys was natural, as long as things didn't go "too far"—words that worried any parent of a young girl.

"I hate to say 'no,' and I hate to say 'yes,'" Mr. W. stated.

"We have to decide."

"We need some rules, maybe a curfew. It's been so long since we were her age. I can hardly remember what it was like."

Mrs. Williams suggested they invite Eddie to join them at the circus, making it a family affair rather than a date.

When they told Tess, she was briefly disappointed, but then cheered up, seeing she'd gotten some of what she wanted. When she told Eddie, he thought it was fine. They went and had a good time.

That night, Tess wrote in her diary: "It had been fun." Not exactly romantic, but pleasant—an "almost date."

 

 

 Moral: Love starts with friendship.

MODERN FABLES, Helpful, Ch. 15, Snow Business

  

CHAPTER 15: SNOW BUSINESS

Tess Williams lived with her family on Highland Avenue, on the edge of a small town about 70 miles north of New York City. When it snowed, she and her brothers, Rick and Tim, would go from house to house offering to shovel walks and driveways for money—not a lot of cash, but enough to make it worthwhile.

That February, an especially heavy late-winter snowstorm hit, so heavy that some trees were knocked over by the wind and the weight of snow on their branches. Overnight, the entire neighborhood lost power when fallen trees brought down power lines.

For Tess and her family, it was a bit of an adventure. None of their electric clock alarms went off, so four of them got up late—not a problem for Rick, Tess, Tim, or their mom, since school was cancelled. Mr. Williams, though, was awakened by a call on his cell phone and left for the fire department before everyone else was up. A fire had started in a home a few miles away, caused by a kerosene heater being used during the power outage. He'd be gone all day.

Breakfast was blah, all cold. How long would the electricity be off? The longest outage the kids could remember was 95 hours a few years earlier, but usually the power company restored service within a day or so.

"Let's make some dough shoveling snow," Rick rhymed.

"I think money is sweeter than honey," Tess rhymed back.

"I'll help, too," Tim chimed in, not up to rhyming this early in the morning, if ever.

They spent much of the day walking along Highland Avenue, knocking on doors and ringing doorbells, getting many neighbors to pay them to shovel walks and driveways. They didn't stop at the house at the end of the street, though. Mr. Taylor, elderly and sometimes grumpy, usually shoveled his own walk and driveway. He seemed proud of it—or maybe he just wanted to save money as a retiree.

Evening came. The Williams kids split the money they'd made shoveling snow. The family had sandwiches for dinner by candlelight, as the power was still off—no TV, no radio, a bit boring. Flashlights let them read, awkwardly. They went to sleep early, without worrying about getting up the next day since it was Saturday.

The following morning, there was still no power. The adventure was getting to be a drag. The Williams kids decided to go sledding, and all three bundled up and headed up Highland Avenue to their hill.

"Tess, you and Tim go on. I'm going to check on the Taylors. Their walk and driveway still aren't shoveled."

"Okay, Rick, see you there later."

Rick rang the Taylors' doorbell. No answer. He knocked. No answer. Knocked again. This time, the door opened, and Mr. Taylor invited him in, putting his finger to his lips to indicate Rick should be quiet.

When they reached the kitchen, Mr. Taylor said, "Sorry to shush you, but my wife is sleeping. She's not well. You're the eldest Williams boy, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm Rick Williams. We noticed your walk and driveway weren't shoveled and wondered why. Usually, you do it yourself."

"Thank you for your concern, Rick. My wife's health is very fragile. Our power's been out for over a day, and I don't want to leave her. Our telephone is out, too."

"We have the same problem, Mr. Taylor, but we can use our cell phones until they run out of power. Don't you have one?"

"No. We try to watch our expenses and don't want to pay extra for a cell phone. I think we were mistaken, though. I want to be able to call a doctor or the hospital if my wife's condition gets worse."

"Is that why your walk and driveway aren't shoveled?"

"Partly. My back is sore lately. Also, I didn't want to leave my wife alone. If we have to get to the hospital in my car, it'll be difficult. I could call 911 if necessary, but what they consider an emergency might not be what I would. They might not want to come."

"Mr. Taylor, I'm glad I came. I'm going to do two things. First, I'm lending you my cell phone right now. Second, I'm going to shovel your walk and driveway so you and your wife can get out if you need to."

"I couldn't accept all that."

"I insist." And so it was.

Late that afternoon, power returned to Highland Avenue. Not long after, the phone rang at the Williams home.

"Hello."

"Hello, this is Geoffrey Taylor. Who is this?"

"Tess Williams."

"Are you Rick's sister?"

"Yes."

"Please tell Rick my wife and I greatly appreciated his help this morning. She's feeling better, and we didn't have to go to the hospital after all. Tell Rick I'll be down to return his cell phone within the hour, and please tell your parents they have a son to be very proud of."

"Thank you, Mr. Taylor. I'll come to your house right now and get Rick's phone and save you the trouble."

"Very nice of you, Tess. I see the Williams family has two very good children. I'll be waiting at the door."

When Tess met Mr. Taylor, he tried to pay her for Rick's work. She refused his offer, with thanks.

Sometimes, Tess thought, it's better to give than to get. We made enough money shoveling…it's a nice little business. In fact, there's no business like snow business!

  

 

Moral: Good help makes good neighbors.