Now he sits on the shelf in the music store, again... waiting for someone to take him home. A pretty little girl with blue eyes and pigtails touches him and makes his strings sing. Her father comes over and touches her on the head. "Let's see what instrument the school gives you to play" he says. "I hope it is the violin daddy" she sighed. "It's such a lovely instrument." "We shall see" the father says. And out the door they walk.
Stradi sighed... "No one is EVER gonna buy you" said the NEW Tuba to Stradi. "You are just too expensive and not as fun to play as I am!" The NEW guitar said..."and you are just too old fashioned... not like me!" "Someone WILL buy me" Stradi said. All the instruments in the shoppe just laughed at him. "You are dreaming," said the NEW drum. "No one wants an instrument that is so hard to play... I am easy to learn" he boomed. "Someone WILL buy me" Stradi muttered under his breath, "Just you wait and see."
Days passed and all the newer instruments got homes and soon Stradi was put on the REDUCED shelf with the other older instruments. "Don't worry Stradi we will find homes soon." said another violin as one string pinged. "The school hasn't picked out their instruments yet and the school year is just about to start." "I hope they buy us" said Stradi.
The next day a teacher from the school came in to the store and talked to the owner. "We are allowed to buy 2 violins" he said to the owner of the shoppe. "I can give you a great deal on them" said the owner of the shoppe, and over he came and picked up Stradi. "This violin is old but it still has some life in it." "I'll take it" said the teacher, "and the other one there too." The owner put Stradi in a box and he was happily on his way to school.
Stradi soon heard loud voices of children at play then the ring of the school bell and the muffling of someone talking. "The teacher probably" he thought. He felt his box being lifted and then a bright light! When the light dimmed he could see someone looking at him. I pretty blue eyed girl with pigtails and a huge smile on her face. It was the girl from a days earlier at the shoppe. She took him from the box and put him to her cheek. The teacher showed her how to hold the bow and she stroked his strings. "Not bad for a newbie" Stradi thought. She played him until the bell rang and he was then put back in the box.
The little girl was so happy to have him and he was happy with her too. She ran home from school and showed her mother. He could smell stew cooking on the stove. She ran up the stairs and laid him on her bed so gently. Later that night she gave a CONCERT for her parents. She was a natural with the violin. As the sky darkened he was taken up the stairs. The little girl and her father had a little argument about weither she could sleep with her new violin. Stradi thought.. "OH NOOOOOOOOOOOO.. not ANOTHER sleeper with the violin." His last owner insisted on sleeping with him and broke his neck! He spent weeks in the shoppe waiting for the little boy to return to take him home but he never saw the little boy again. He was happy when THIS father insisted he stay on the chair instead.
Stradi was happy... he had a little girl that loved him. She spent quite a bit of time practicing and managed to master a few difficult pieces of music. Soon it was time for her to have her first REAL concert. She cleaned him up and shined him brightly. Her hair was curled and she wore all white. Her dress had ruffles and she even wore makeup. She looked soooo grown up. She was very nervous but her parents quickly calmed her fears. As the curtain went up he could feel her take a deep breath and then relax. The bow hit his strings... every note was on key and his music filled the hall. The audience gave a standing ovation and he was the proudest violin around. He had FINALLY found his angel!
That was the first of many concerts over the years and the little girl was not a little girl anymore. She had become a fine young woman and a great violinist. She married a tall dark man with an accent. He went with her everywhere she played... To Paris.. To Rome. They had 2 lovely children and she played them bedtime melodies on Stradi. Her daughter even showed an interest in Stradi. The daughter often plays him when her mother is off doing household chores. She showed great promise as a violinist as well.
The little girl turned young woman grew old. She couldn't play Stradi as much as she used too. Luckily the daughter loves him and is playing him more frequently. She has her mother’s talent for music. As Stradi sits on the chair in the hospital he can see that little girl with blue eyes and pigtails from that first day lying in the hospital bed. She has been good to him and he is sorry to see her go. He has seen many hospitals and each time he is sorry to see his master go.
The daughter picks Stradi up to play and the old woman in the bed smiles. Stradi knows he will be happy with her daughter and he has found a home for generations. He sings his BEST tune ever and he hears her whisper... THE END.
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