THE PIANO
Where does music come from? Is it something that you learn?
Or is it simply given to you — and nobody knows where it comes from?
The young boy in this story is not good at school. He
is not good at learning words or numbers. He likes to sing with the other boys
and girls; but he is not good at singing. He does not get the first job that he
tries to get. He is a nice boy, but he is not good at anything special.
And then he finds a piano. He also finds that he can
play the piano. So, perhaps we can say that he does not find music, but that
music finds him.
Chapter 1
In the
Dressing-room
SIR ANTHONY EVANS PLAYS LISZT. The words above the
door of the theatre were a metre high. On the wall there was a big picture of
Sir Anthony at the piano. Hundreds of people were waiting outside the ticket
office. It was Sir Anthony's eightieth birthday concert and everybody wanted a
ticket. I had a special ticket, because I was a newspaper reporter. I wanted to
talk to the famous pianist before his concert. I showed my ticket to the
doorman and went into the theatre. Then I walked upstairs to the dressing-rooms.
On my way upstairs I thought about the famous pianist.
I was a little afraid. My mouth was dry and my hands were shaking.
I arrived outside the dressing-room.
There was a big gold star on the door.
I knocked, and a tall man opened it. He was very old,
but his eyes were blue and bright. He was wearing black trousers and a
beautiful white shirt. He had a lot of straight, silvery hair. He looked just
like his picture on the wall of the theatre.
'My name's Sally Hill,' I began. 'I. . .'
1
The Piano
Hundreds
of people were waiting outside the ticket office
2
In the Dressing-room
The old man saw my notebook and smiled at me.
'Don't tell me. You're a reporter. Which newspaper do you
work for?'
'The Sunday Times, sir.'
'A very good newspaper. Come in and sit down. Ask your
questions. We were young once, weren't we, Linda? But of course that was a long
time ago.'
He turned to a tall woman, who was standing in the corner.
She smiled at me with friendly brown eyes. 'So this is Lady Evans,' I thought.
'What a nice face she has! She looks like a farmer's wife.'
I was not afraid any more. I sat down and opened my notebook.
'Tell me about yourself, please, Sir Anthony. Did you come
from a musical family? Did you start to learn the piano when you were three,
like Mozart?'
The famous pianist smiled. 'No, no, my dear. I am the first
musician in my family. And I was fourteen years old before I touched a piano
for the first time.' He saw the surprise on my face. 'We have a little time
before my concert. I'll tell you my story. It's a strange story, but every word
of it is true. You see, I left school when I was thirteen. Everybody called me
Tony in
those days. I worked on a farm . . .'
It was an exciting story and he told it well.
At first I
3
The Piano
tried to write everything down in my
notebook. Then the pen fell from my hand and I just listened. I was lost in Sir
Anthony's wonderful story. He told me about an old school behind a high wall in
a dirty street. There
was broken glass on top of the wall. The
school yard was very small. As he spoke, pictures came into my mind. I saw a
little boy called Tony Evans, playing football with an old tin ...
Chapter 2
A Poor Boy
The teacher's name was Mr Grey. He was
grey, like his name: he was old and grey and tired. Everything about
him was grey: grey suit, grey shirt, grey
hair and a long, thin, grey face. When he smiled the children saw
his long, grey teeth. But he did not often
smile. Mr Grey did not enjoy his job. He did not like children.
'Why does he work here?' one of the children asked one day.
'He doesn't like us.'
'But he likes the long school holidays!' said Tony. The other
children laughed. They thought that was a very clever answer.
But Tony was not a clever boy. He was big and slow and
silent. He did not enjoy his lessons. Usually he just
4
A Poor Boy
sat at his desk and waited quietly for four
o'clock to come, when he could go home.
But Tuesday mornings were different, because Tuesday was
music day. Every Tuesday morning an old lady called Mrs Lark came to the
school. Mrs Lark played the piano and the children sang. She was not a very
good pianist, but she liked children and she enjoyed her work. She knew a lot
of songs too. Every Tuesday her fat little fingers flew like birds up and down
the keys of the piano. The children sang like birds, too. Then twelve o'clock
came. Mrs Lark said 'goodbye' and locked up the piano for another week.
The
children sang like birds.
5
The Piano
The
musician shook his head and pushed his little piano away.
Tony did not often hear music. His family was poor, and poor
people did not often hear music. There was no TV or radio in those days. There
were concerts in the town, of course, but poor people did not go to concerts.
Sometimes an Italian street musician came to town. He had a little piano on
wheels, and a poor thin monkey which sat on top of it. The people came out of
their houses to listen to his music. Then
the monkey went round with a little tin cup. 'Give us a penny!' sang the
musician. But when the monkey came back, the tin cup was always empty. The
musician shook his head and pushed his little piano away.
There were six children in the Evans family, and
6
A Poor Boy
Tony was the oldest. They lived in a very
small house at the end of a long, grey street. The toilet was outside, in the
yard. There was no bathroom. Everybody washed in the kitchen. On Saturday
evenings everybody in the family had a bath one after another in an old tin
bath in front of the fire. It took all evening. Every Monday Mrs Evans washed
all the family's clothes in the tin bath. But the Evans were clean and they had
enough to eat. Tony did not feel poor, because all his friends were poor too.
In those days, poor children usually left school when they
were thirteen. Most of Tony's friends found jobs in shops or factories in the
town. Tony did not want to work in a shop or a factory. But he needed a job
because his family needed the money.
A few days after his thirteenth birthday, Tony left school
too. He began to look for a job. But he was unlucky. The factory did not want
him. The shops did not want him. Then his mother thought, 'What about farming?'
One hot summer afternoon she decided to take her son to a
farm outside the town.
'I worked on Mr Wood's farm when I was young,' she told Tony.
'Then I met your father and we moved to the town. But I enjoyed farm work, and
I think you'll like it too ... I wrote to Mr Wood last week and
7
The Piano
asked him to give you a job on the farm.
That will be better than the factory.'
Chapter 3
A Farmer's Boy
Tony and his mother got on a bus in the
middle of the town. At first they drove through streets of small, grey houses.
Then the bus left the town and drove along a country road.
The bus stopped in every village. Tony saw green fields and
small, quiet villages. Every house had a
garden. The smell of the flowers came in
through the open windows of the bus.
At last the bus stopped. Tony could see a river and an old
bridge. A small road ran across the bridge, through the fields and over a hill.
'Come on, Tony,' said his mother. They got out of the bus and walked two
kilometres in the hot sun. There were white and yellow flowers at the side of
the road. Tony did not know their names. He wanted to know more about them. He
wanted to know more about the trees too. There were no flowers or trees in his
street.
He looked at the cows in the fields.
'I've never seen a real cow,' he said to himself. He
8
A Farmer's Boy
The cows
moved slowly through the long green grass.
watched them moving very slowly through the
long, green grass. They looked big and quiet.
Tony and his mother arrived at the
farmhouse and walked through the farmyard. Chickens were looking for food. A
fat white cat sat on a wall and watched them with sleepy eyes.
Mr Wood came to the door and spoke to Tony's mother. 'Hullo,
Betty. It's nice to see you again. Thank you for your letter. How are you?'
They talked together like old friends.
Tony stood at the door. He felt lost and uncomfortable. But
the farmer smiled at him.
The Piano
'Is this your son, Betty?' he asked.
'Yes. This is Anthony - but we call him Tony at home. He left
school two weeks ago. He's a good boy, and he's very strong. Please give him a
job, Mr Wood. We need the money. We've got six children, you know.'
The farmer looked at Tony. 'How old are you, boy?' he asked.
'Thirteen, sir.'
'Do you like the country?' 'Yes,
sir,' said Tony.
'Would you like to work for me, Tony?' asked Mr
Wood. 'Would you like to be a farm boy?'
Tony thought about the factory and the shops. The shops were
bad, but the factory was worse. When people came out of the factory in the
evening their faces looked white and ill. 'Nothing can be worse than that,' he
thought. He looked into the farmer's smiling red face. 'Yes, sir,' he said.
'Yes, please.'
His mother was right. Tony was a good,
strong boy and he worked very hard for Mr Wood. The old farmer did not pay him
much money. Tony ate his meals in the kitchen and he slept in a little room at
the top of the farmhouse. But the farmer was kind to him and taught him a lot.
Mr Wood had no sons. He had
A Farmer's Boy
one daughter. Her name was Linda, and she was
a year younger than Tony. Mr Wood loved Linda dearly, but he wanted a son very
much. He was like a father to Tony.
Tony was happy. At the end of every day his back was tired
and his legs hurt, but he slept like a baby. He ate Mrs Wood's good country
food. He drank a lot of milk. Soon he needed new clothes. He sent his old
clothes home for his brothers. He sent his family money, too.
Sometimes Tony visited his family. He enjoyed those visits,
but he was always happy to leave again. 'I'm a country boy now,' he thought.
He ate Mrs
Wood's good country food.
The Piano
In the school holidays Pip and his brother
John came to the farm. Pip was seventeen and John was sixteen, but they were
both still at school. Their father had a large shoe shop in the town. He wanted
them to go to college and learn to be businessmen. But the boys spent all their
holidays on Mr Wood's farm.
'I want to be a farmer,' said Pip.
'That's right,' said John. 'Farming is the best job in the
world!'
'But you just come here in the summer!' said Tony. 'It isn't
always summer, you know. The sun doesn't always shine. Farmers work hard in the
winter too.
It's a hard, dirty job.'
'But you like it!' said John, and he was right. Tony
liked his job very much.
Chapter 4
One hot summer afternoon Tony, John and Pip
were cutting the long grass. The sun was hot and they were tired. Mr Wood came
into the field.
'Now, boys,' he said, 'I have a job for
you.'
'He always has a job for us!' said Pip very quietly.
The other boys smiled. The farmer liked to
keep them
12
An Old
Piano
'Get the
rubbish out of the building
13
busy. They walked with him to an old wooden
building near the farmhouse.
'Now,' said Mr Wood. 'My new car will arrive here next week.
I want this building for a garage. Get the rubbish out of the building. Then
clean it really well.
I want to keep the car in it.'
'What shall we do with the rubbish, Mr Wood?' asked Pip.
'Get rid of it, of course!' answered the farmer. 'Now stop
asking questions, young Pip. I'm a busy man.' He walked away.
The three boys opened the doors of the building.
They looked at the rubbish, then they
looked at each other.
'This is going to take a long time,' said
Tony.
He went to the back of the building. He saw something behind
a lot of old boxes. It was very big.
'What's this?' asked Tony.
'Is it a cupboard?' asked Pip.
John came and moved some of the boxes. 'It isn't a cupboard,'
he said in surprise. 'It's an old piano.'
The piano was made of beautiful, dark brown wood. Tony took
off his shirt and cleaned the wood with it. He saw brightly-coloured birds,
flowers and leaves.
They shone like stars in the dark, dirty
building. Tony opened the piano. He looked at the keys.
An Old Piano
'We can't get rid of this,' he said. 'We really can't.' He
found an old, broken chair and sat down at the piano. His fingers touched the
keys. He closed his eyes. Half-forgotten music danced through his mind. His
fingers began to move. They moved up and down the keys. He began to play an old
song. He was suddenly very happy.
'I can play the piano,' he thought. 'Nobody taught me, but my
mind tells my fingers what to do, and I can make music'
His friends listened.
'That's beautiful,' said John. 'What
is it?' 'I don't know,' said Tony.
Tony's
fingers moved up and down the piano keys.
15
They heard a noise behind them. Linda Wood was standing at
the door. She was a tall, thin girl with long, soft brown hair. She was not
beautiful, but she had big, kind brown eyes and a sweet smile. She was smiling
now, and she was singing very quietly.
Tony heard her and stopped playing. He stood up.
His face was red and he felt hot and
uncomfortable.
'Don't stop, Tony,' said Linda.
'I've finished,' said Tony shortly. He closed the piano.
Linda came into the building. 'Look,' she said, 'Mother has
sent you some cakes and milk. She asked me to bring them.'
'Mother
has sent you some cakes and milk.'
An Old Piano
Mrs Wood was a very good cook. The cakes were still warm . .
. They all ate and drank.
Linda looked at the piano. 'Who taught you to play the piano,
Tony?' she asked.
Tony looked down at his dirty old shoes. 'I can't play the
piano,' he said.
'Yes, you can!' said Linda. 'I heard you. I have piano
lessons at school, but I can't play like you. I like that song. It's called
Green Fields. I've got the music at school, but I can't play it. It's too
difficult for me. Do you want to borrow it?'
'I can't read music,' said Tony. 'We didn't have music
lessons at my school.' He looked unhappy and thoughtful. 'Music!' thought Tony.
He remembered the street musician with his little monkey. Then he thought about
Mrs Lark. He remembered those wonderful Tuesday mornings, and he smiled. 'We
sang a little on Tuesday mornings, that's all,' he said.
He stood and looked at the piano. 'I must have it,' he said
to himself. 'I'll ask Mr Wood.'
At seven o'clock Tony washed in cold water and put on his
clean shirt. Then he went to the kitchen with Pip and John. They sat down at
the big kitchen table and Mrs Wood put the food on three hot plates. Then she
went to have supper with Mr Wood and Linda.
Tony ate his meat and potatoes and drank two cups
of strong, sweet tea. Then he had three small
cakes and an apple. He was always hungry. He washed his plate and his cup and
put them away.
'Now!' he thought. He got up and went to
the door. 'Where are you going?' asked John.
'I want to ask Mr Wood about that piano,' said Tony. 'Pianos
cost a lot of money. We must tell him about this one. Then he can decide what
to do with it.' He knocked at the door of the sitting-room.
'Come in!' said the farmer. He was reading his
Farmer's Weekly. Mrs Wood was mending
a hole in
Linda's school dress. Linda herself was
doing her homework at the table in the corner.
'Please, Mr Wood,' began Tony, 'there's an old piano in that
building . . .'
'I don't want to know, boy!' said Mr Wood.
'You don't want to know?' said Tony. 'But a piano isn't
rubbish, sir . . .'
'It is rubbish, boy. Take it away. Get rid of it. I want that
building for my new car. Now go away. I'm tired.
I've had a busy day and I want to
read my newspaper.' 'But. . .' began Tony again.
'I don't want to know!' said Mr Wood. 'Go away!' He shook his
newspaper angrily.
'Yes, Mr Wood,' said Tony. He went out and closed the door
behind him. He came back into the kitchen.
An Old Piano
'Mr Wood,
there's an old piano in that building.'
'Listen - can you help me?' he said to Pip and John. 'Mr Wood
doesn't want that old piano. He says I can have it. He wants the building for
his new car. I can have the piano if I want it. And oh, yes - I want it very
much. But where can I put it?'
'That's easy,' said Pip. 'We can put it on Mr Wood's lorry.
We can take the piano to your house. Your family will love it!'
'You've never seen our house,' said Tony. 'It's very small,
and there are seven people living in it. We can't take the piano there.'
'Sell it, then,' said John. 'Buy something nice with the
money.'
19
The Piano
'I don't want money,' said Tony. 'I want the piano.'
'How can I tell them?' he thought. 'How can I tell them how I
feel about it?' He looked at his hands. He wanted to feel the black and white
keys under his fingers again. He wanted to hear the music in his mind . . .
'What's happening to me?' he thought.
Pip looked at the clock. 'It's late,' he said. 'And I'm
tired. I'm going to go to bed. We can think about your piano tomorrow.'
Chapter 5
The next morning the boys got up at six
o'clock. They took some sandwiches and a bottle of cold tea, and they began to
cut the long grass in Mr Wood's biggest field.
The field was near a quiet road. At the side of the road was
a small school. It stood in a garden. There were flowers and vegetables and a
few fruit trees. But no children were there. The school was empty. It was
summer and the children were on holiday.
The sun shone down angrily. The boys were hot and thirsty. At
eleven o'clock Tony went for a drink, but the bottle was empty.
20
The Village School
'I want a drink of water,' he said to Pip and John. He took
the empty bottle and went into the school garden. There was a tap there and he
turned it. No water came out. He went to the door of the school.
He pushed - and it opened.
There was a little kitchen. Tony turned on the tap. He took a
long drink and filled his bottle. Then he decided to look around the little
school. It did not take him long. There was one classroom. The desks and chairs
were very small, because it was a school for young children. Tony went back
into the kitchen. 'It's July,' he thought. 'Everyone is on holiday. School
doesn't start again until September. I can put the piano here. No one will come
here. I've got six weeks. And in six weeks perhaps I can find a home for my
piano.' He went back to the field.
'You were away a long time,' said Pip. 'Did you have a drink,
or a holiday?' They all laughed.
'Listen,' said Tony. 'The school door is open. The school's
empty. I'm going to put my piano in the classroom.'
'Don't be stupid!' said John. 'What will the teacher say?'
'He won't say anything! He's on holiday,' said Tony. 'You're
on holiday too, aren't you? When do you go back to school?'
21
The Piano
'I'm going
to put my piano in the classroom.'
22
The Village School
'September the ninth,' said John.
'That's right!' said Tony. 'Listen - the door's open. The
key's in the door. I'm not going to steal anything. I'm just going to keep the
piano in the classroom for a week or two . . . Can you help me? We'll put the
piano on the lorry, and we'll take it to the school.' 'When?' asked Pip.
'Tonight,' said Tony.
The three boys worked very hard. They cleaned out the
building. They cleaned the windows too. Then they put the piano on Mr Wood's
lorry.
'What time are we going?' asked Pip.
'Eight o'clock,' answered Tony.
Linda gave the boys their supper that night. Mrs Wood was at
a meeting in the village.
'Boys,' said Linda, 'Father says you are borrowing the lorry
tonight.'
'Yes, that's right,' said Pip. 'I'm
driving.'
'Please, can you take me to the village?
Catherine is ill.'
Catherine was Linda's best friend. 'I want to
visit her.'
'But . . .' began Tony. He looked into her kind brown eyes
and he told her his story. He told her about his old school. He told her about
Mrs Lark. He talked about the village school, and the open door, and the quiet,
empty classroom. Linda listened. John and Pip listened too. Then Linda smiled.
23
The boys
drove the lorry to the little school.
'Thank you, Tony. Now I understand. And I want to help you.'
The boys drove Linda to Catherine's house.
'Please come back at half past nine,' she said to Pip. She
spoke loudly because Catherine's mother was listening. Then she said, very
quietly, 'Good luck,
Tony - and be careful!'
The boys drove the lorry to the little school. Then they
moved the piano. It was very heavy, but they were young and strong. They pushed
it into the classroom and stood it against a wall.
'It looks beautiful here,' said Pip. He touched the keys.
They made a loud, unmusical noise.
The Village School
'Listen to that!' said his brother. 'You had piano lessons
for three years, but you didn't learn anything. Play something for us, Tony.'
Tony sat down and began to play one of Mrs Lark's songs. The
music sang in his mind. It travelled along his arms. His fingers danced over
the keys. He did not look at his hands. He did not look at the keys. His eyes
were closed. He was in another world.
His friends listened. Tony was not clever. He was big and
quiet and slow. But there was music in his big, strong hands.
That summer was a happy time for Tony.
Every evening after supper he borrowed Linda's bicycle. He cycled to the
school, and he played the piano. When it was dark he cycled back to the farm
again. He was afraid to turn on a light in the school. He did not want anybody
to see him.
'I think Tony has a girlfriend,' said Mrs Wood to Linda.
Linda just smiled.
Tony learned to read music. Linda brought him a book of easy
songs. She showed him the music. He looked at the little black notes and the
five thin black lines on the pages of the book.
'This is easy,' he said to Linda. 'It's like writing. The
notes tell your fingers what to do.'
25
Tony
learned to read music.
'That's right,' said Linda. She showed him the long notes and
the short notes. She taught him to read the words at the top of the page.
'Look!' she said. 'That's Italian.
Lento-slow.'
But Tony was not slow. He learned very fast. Linda was a good
teacher. Both of them enjoyed her lessons.
Chapter 6
Mr Gordon
finds a Musician
Mr Gordon was the teacher at the little
village school. He was a kind old man and the children liked him. They enjoyed
his lessons and he enjoyed teaching them.
There was no piano at the school. This
sometimes made him a little unhappy, because he loved music very much. But he
sang with the children. He filled their young minds with songs and stories. It
was a happy school.
One night during the summer holidays Mr Gordon wanted a book.
He looked everywhere.
'I know!' he said suddenly. 'I left it at school. I'll go
there at once. It isn't far away.'
He walked through the school garden. The door of the school
was open! He felt in his pocket for the key it was not there!
27
'Oh dear!' thought Mr Gordon. 'I forgot to lock the door. Now
somebody is in the school. Perhaps it's a thief! What can I do?' Then he heard
the music . . .
Tony played the same line of music again and again. It was
not easy.
'Prestissimo,' said the words at the top of the page.
'Very fast.' His ringers flew over the keys.
Mr Gordon stood and listened. There was a happy smile on his
face. Then Tony stopped playing.
'That wasn't right,' he said to himself. He looked carefully
at the little black notes on their thin black lines. 'The left hand goes like
this.'
Mr Gordon spoke. 'And the right hand goes like this . . .'
Tony turned round. His face was white. 'Don't tell the
police,' he said. 'Please. I haven't stolen anything. I haven't done anything
wrong.'
'No, no, of course not,' said the teacher. 'But who are you?
What are you doing in my classroom? And how did this piano get here?'
Mr Gordon visited the farm and talked to Mr
and Mrs Wood.
'Tony is very special,' said Mr Gordon. 'I have been a
teacher for forty years, but I have never met a boy like Tony. He must have
music lessons at once. Then
Mr Gordon finds a Musician
Mr Gordon
stood and listened.
29
The Piano
'I came to
school for a book, but I found a musician!'
he must go to the College of Music in London.
He needs to work with other musical boys and girls.'
'But his mother and father are poor,' said Mrs Wood. 'They
can't pay for music lessons. They can't send him to college. They have five
small children at home. Tony sends them money every month.'
'I can give Tony his first lessons,' said Mr Gordon. 'I don't
want any money - I'll be very happy to teach this wonderful boy. I feel - oh,
how can I explain to you?. . . This is a very exciting time for me. Last night
I came to school to look for a book, and I found a musician! . . . But Tony
learns very quickly. Soon he will need a really good teacher. Then we'll have
to think about money. Perhaps Tony can go to the
30
Mr Gordon finds a Musician
College of Music in the daytime and work in a
restaurant in the evenings . . .'
'No, he can't!' said Mr Wood. Suddenly his face was red and
angry.
'Tony is a good boy. He's like a son to us. His father is
poor, but we are not.'
'That's right!' said his wife. She was usually a quiet woman,
but her eyes were bright and excited. 'We will send Tony to the College
of Music,' she said.
Tony knew nothing about their conversation. He was cleaning
Mr Wood's new car when Mr Gordon visited the farm. But that visit changed his
life. Mr Wood had a quiet talk with him later.
'Mr Gordon wants to give you piano lessons,' he told Tony.
Tony's eyes shone like stars. Then he shook his head. 'I
haven't any money, sir,' he said.
'Mr Gordon doesn't want any money. I've had a talk with him.
You are going to go to the school at four o'clock every afternoon. You will
have your lesson, and you will practise on the piano for two hours. Then you'll
come back to the farm and have your supper.' 'But my work . . .' began Tony.
'I can find another farm boy,' said Mr Wood, 'but good
musicians are special people. Give me three tickets for your first concert, and
I'll be happy.'
31
Chapter 7
The Music Competition
Tony worked and worked. He got up at six
every morning. He worked on the farm until four o'clock in the afternoon. But
every minute of the day, music filled his mind.
At four o'clock he cycled to his piano lesson with Mr Gordon.
He practised until seven o'clock, then he cycled back to the farm for supper.
After supper he read Mr Gordon's music books. Often he fell asleep at the
kitchen table.
At night, while he slept, his mind was still full of music.
Small black notes danced in front of his eyes. When he woke up the music was
still there. Tony lived in a world of music.
The leaves fell from the trees. Winter came. It was dark when
Tony got up in the mornings. It was dark when he cycled to his piano lesson,
and it was dark when he cycled back to the farm again. Sometimes it snowed.
Then he had to walk to and from the school. But he never missed a lesson.
'How's the boy getting on?' the farmer asked Mr Gordon one
day.
32
'Very well,' said the teacher. 'But he's too quick for me.
Soon he'll need a real teacher.'
Spring came, and the trees were green again.
'There's a music competition in the town on June 12th,' said
Mr Gordon one evening.
'Can I go and listen?' asked Tony.
'No,' said his teacher. 'I will go and listen. You are
going to play in the competition.'
'But I can't do that! I need to practise more. I'm not
ready!' said Tony.
'You will be ready,' said his teacher
quietly.
Mr Gordon was a kind old man. But he made Tony practise for
four hours every day. Another boy helped Mr Wood on the farm while Tony
practised for the competition.
'Two weeks to go before the competition,' said
Mr Gordon one evening. 'Look, this is the
programme.'
The programme was big and beautiful and expensive.
Tony looked for his name. He found it.
'Anthony Evans, aged 15. Piano.'
'Nobody calls me Anthony,' he said. 'Why can't they call me
Tony?'
'Tony is a boy's name,' said Mr Gordon. 'Anthony is a man's
name. Tony Evans was a farm boy. Anthony Evans is a musician. One day, Anthony
Evans will be
33
The Piano
The
programme was big and beautiful and expensive.
famous all over the world. And from today I'm
going to call you Anthony.'
On the morning of the competition Mr and Mrs
Wood and Anthony went into town in the car. While Mr Wood had a drink with some
friends, Mrs Wood took Anthony shopping. She bought him a new brown suit and a
new white shirt. Then she took him into a shoe shop - and Pip's father sold her
some new shoes for Anthony.
They were beautiful shoes. They shone like glass and Mrs Wood
liked them very much. The shoes were too small and they hurt Anthony's feet.
But he did not say anything - what could he say?
34
The Music
Competition
Mrs Wood paid for the shoes, and Pip's father put them in a
box.
'I hear you're playing in the music competition tonight,' he
said to Anthony. 'I saw your name in the programme. Anthony Evans - it sounds
wonderful. Good luck!'
In the evening the Wood family and Anthony drove to Mr
Gordon's house. Mr Gordon came out. He was wearing his best suit.
'You look wonderful, Mr Gordon!' laughed Mrs Wood. 'Are you
getting married?'
The old man got into the car and they all drove to the
competition. The Woods went to their seats, but Mr Gordon took Anthony through
the stage door. He took him to a room behind the stage. A lot of musicians were
waiting there. The women were wearing long dresses. The men were wearing
evening suits. Nobody spoke to Anthony.
'Goodbye, my boy,' said Mr Gordon, 'and good luck.'
Anthony sat in the waiting room for a long time. His feet
hurt. They burned like fire. His hands felt cold. They were shaking. From a
long way away he heard the sound of a piano. Every few minutes a man came in
and called someone's name. After a long time the man came in and said, 'Mr
Evans, please.' Anthony
35
The Piano
did not move. Nobody usually called him Mr
Evans!
'Mr Anthony Evans, please!' said the man again. 'Come along —
we haven't got all night!'
Anthony got up. 'Oh, my feet hurt!' he thought. He followed
the man up some stairs. 'I'm walking like Charlie Chaplin,' he thought.
'Everybody will laugh at me.'
He walked on to the stage and sat down at the big piano. The
dark wood shone like glass. He could see his face in it. He turned round and
looked at the sea of faces. He could not see the Wood family. He could not see
Mr Gordon. But suddenly Anthony felt their love and their kindness. His feet
stopped hurting, his hands stopped shaking. He touched the piano. It was much
bigger than the old piano in the classroom. The keys looked very clean and new.
He wanted to touch them.
'Well,' he said to himself, 'of course I want to touch them.
That's why I'm here!' And he began to play. He forgot about himself. He forgot
about all the strange people in the theatre, and he just played for his
friends. He played for Mr and Mrs Wood. He played for
Linda. He played for Mr Gordon. And he
played for old Mrs Lark.
'Where are you now, Mrs Lark?' he thought. 'Do you remember
Tony Evans? You gave us a lot of happiness, Mrs Lark. Thank you. Thank you.'
His
The Music
Competition
Beautiful
sounds filled the theatre.
hands flew over the piano keys. Beautiful
sounds filled the theatre.
'He's going to win the competition,' Mr Gordon said to
himself. 'And this is the happiest day of my life.'
And Anthony won the competition. He knew that he was the
winner because he saw his photograph in the newspaper the next day. But he
could not remember anything about it. All he remembered was his feet.
When he got out of the car, he could not walk. His new shoes
hurt him too much. Mr Wood helped him into the kitchen while Mrs Wood filled an
old tin bath with warm water. Linda took Anthony's shoes off. His feet were
very hot and red. He put them in the warm water.
The Piano
'This is wonderful,' he said.
'You've won!' shouted Mrs Wood. 'Forget about your feet, boy
- you've won the competition! This is the most important night in your life!'
But Anthony was too tired to answer. They helped him up to
bed, and he slept until nine o'clock the next morning.
Linda brought him breakfast in bed. He felt very strange and
uncomfortable. 'I've never had breakfast in bed before,' he told her.
Chapter 8
Sir Anthony Evans turned to me. 'That
competition was the start of wonderful things for me,' he said. 'I went to the
College of Music for three years. Of course, I worked hard, but I enjoyed every
minute. I always went back to the farm for my holidays. And one summer, when I
was twenty, I asked Miss Linda Wood a very important question. "I can't
give you much, Linda," I told her. "But one day I shall be rich and
famous. Then I'll come back again, and I'll ask you to marry me." She gave
me a long, loving look. Then she laughed. "Oh, Anthony," she said.
"Don't wait
The End of the Story
until you're rich and famous. Ask me
now!" So I did and here we are!'
'We've been married for sixty years. Five years ago, the
Queen invited us to Buckingham Palace. I was Mr Anthony Evans when I went into
the Palace. I was Sir Anthony Evans when I came out... and,' - he took his
wife's hand - 'my dear Linda was Lady Evans.' There was a knock at the door of
the dressing-room. 'Two minutes, Sir Anthony!' said a voice.
The famous musician stood up. 'I'm ready,' he said. He turned
to me.
'How many concerts have I given? Two thousand? Three
thousand? For me, every concert is new and exciting. Now go, my dear, and write
your story. Tell the readers of your newspaper that I am a very lucky man.'
'We've
been married for sixty years.'
broken (adj) in pieces, or not working cake
something sweet to eat, made of eggs, butter, flour, etc. classroom a
room in a school where children have lessons clean (v) to make something
clean (not dirty) college a school where young people learn to be
teachers, doctors, musicians, etc.
competition an event where people sing, play,
run, etc. to show who is the best
concert music that people come to
listen to, often in a theatre or concert hall
cycle to ride a bicycle dry not wet farm (n)
a place where people grow food and keep animals for food
farmer a person who has a farm farmhouse
the house of a farmer fall in love with to begin to love somebody very
much fill to make full grass a plant with thin green leaves that covers
fields and gardens
key the black and white pieces of a
piano that make music when you touch them
line a long thin mark on paper lorry
a very large 'car' that can carry big things mind (n) the part of
you that thinks and feels monkey an animal with a long tail that lives in trees
note (n) a mark on paper that shows a sound in music piano
a large musical instrument
40
Glossary
pianist a person who plays the piano
practise to do something again and again until you are good at it
programme a paper that shows what is going to happen, and
when
reporter a person who writes for a newspaper rid (get
rid of) to take, give or throw something away that you do not want
rubbish something that you do not want
because it is not useful to you
stage the place inside a theatre
where people sing, act, play music, etc.
stage door the door at the back of a
theatre that takes you behind the stage
tap something that you turn on and water comes out tin a
kind of metal; a container made of this metal, e.g. a tin of
Coke throw
to move your arm quickly to send something through the air
win (v) to be the best or first person in a
competition yard a piece of ground next to walls or buildings
41
ACTIVITIES
_________________
1
Read
the story introduction on the first page of the book,and the back cover. How
much do you know now about the story? Tick one box for each sentence.
1
The boy works for
a farmer.
2
Everything in the
old building is rubbish.
3
The boy has had
piano lessons for manyyears.
4
The boy has never
had lessons, but he canplay the piano.
5
The boy is clever
and does well at school.
6
Music changes the
boy's life.
2
What is
going to happen in the story? Can you guess? Tickone box for each sentence.
1
The farmer throws
the piano away.
2
The farmer gives
the piano to the boy.3 The farmer sells the piano.
4
The boy keeps the
piano and learns toplay it.
5
The boy
loses his job because of the piano.
6
The boy decides
to be a music teacher.
7
The story has a
happy ending.
44
White
Reading
Read Chapter 1 and answer these
questions.
1
How did Sally
Hill feel before she met Sir Anthony?
2
Who looked like a
farmer's wife?
3
How old was Sir
Anthony when he first touched apiano?
4
When did Sir
Anthony leave, school?
5
Where did he work
after he left school?
6
What was Sir
Anthony's school life?
Read Chapters 2 and 3. Are these
sentences true (T) or false (F)? Change the false sentences into true ones.
1
Mr Grey didn't enjoy teaching children.
2
Tony was a slow, quiet boy.
3
Tuesday was reading day at Tony's s c h o o l . '4 Tony often
went to concerts.
5
There were six children inTony's family.
6
Most children got jobs in offices when they left school7 Tony was
interested in the flowers and trees in the country
8
Mr Wood had a daughter who was older than Tony.
9
On the farm Tony worked hard and slept badly.
10 Pip, John
and Tony all liked working on the farm.
45
Read Chapter 4. Who said these words,
and to whom?
1
'It isn't a
cupboard. It's an old piano.'
2
'We can't get rid
of this. We really can't.'
3
'I have piano
lessons at school but I can't play like you.'
4
'It is
rubbish, boy. Take it away.'
5
'I don't want
money. I want the piano.'
Before you read Chapter 5, can you
guess the answer to this question?
Tony wants to keep the piano. Will he . . .
1
hide it on the
farm?
2
ask Pip and John
to keep it in their house?
3
find another
place to keep it?
4
ask Mrs Lark to
keep it for him?
5
ask Mrs Wood and
Linda to help him?
Read Chapter 5. Choose the best
question-word for these questions, and then answer them.
Who /
Where / Why
1
. . . did Tony go
into the school?
2
. . . was the
school empty?
3
. . . helped Tony
to move the piano?
4
. . . did Tony go
every evening that summer?
5
. . . taught Tony
to read music?
ACTIVITIES:
While Reading
Read Chapter 6, thep circle the
correct words in each sentence.
1
Mr Gordon went to
the school to get a key/a book.
2
Mr Gordon
smiled/cried when he heard the piano.
3
Tony's first
music lessons were free/cheap.
4
Mr Gordon/Mr
and Mrs Wood decided
to pay for Tony to go to the College of Music.
5
Mr Wood thought
that good musicians/farm boys were special people.
Read Chapters 7 and 8. Then put these
sentences into the right order, to make a short paragraph.
1
Tony practised
for the competition for four hours every day
2
But he always
went back to the farm for his holidays.
3
The new shoes
hurt his feet, but Tony still played well.
4
For a year, Tony
had lessons from Mr. Gordon.
5
He married Linda
when he was twenty.
6
He won the
competition, and the next day hisphotograph was in the newspaper.
7
Mrs Wood bought
him new clothes and shoes.
8
Now he is famous
and has given thousands of concerts.
9
Then he went to
the College of Music for three years.
10
One day Mr Gordon
told him about a musiccompetition in the town.
47
ACTIVITIES
After
Reading
1
This is
the beginning of Sally Hill's story about Sir AnthonyEvans. Can you find and
correct the fourteen mistakes in it?
Yesterday was
Sir Anthony Evans' seventieth birthday concert. He played music for the guitar
by Mozart, and millions of people came to listen to this very famous guitarist.
After the concert, I went to see him and his sister, Lady Linda Evans, in the
theatre dressing-room, and Sir Anthony told me his story.
He came second in a music competition
when he was sixteen, but the story really began before that. One day in an old
factory building a boy called Tony found a new piano. He was fourteen at the
time. He came from a musical family and he knew a lot about music, and when he
touched the keys of the piano . . .
2
Put these
words into two lists. Then think of a name foreach list and write them in the
boxes.
animal,
chicken, college, concert, country, cow, field,
grass,
keys, lorry, note, piano, play, practise, song, sound, yard
48
ACTIVITIES: After Reading
3
Sally Hill
also talked to Lady Linda Evans about SirAnthony. Put their conversation into
the correct order and write in the speakers' names. Sally speaks first (number
3).
1
'When he played the piano that first
time, I knew that he was a real musician - much more than me. And I wanted to
help him.'
2
'How did you feel
when he won the competition?'
3
'What was Sir Anthony like when you
first met him?'
4
'It was wonderful! I was so happy
for him. He went away after that, of course - but he always came back.'
5
'Why did you want
to teach him?'
6
'I didn't want to tell anybody. It
was our secret. Tony liked learning about music — and I liked being with Tony.'
7
'He was a big, strong boy. He didn't
say very much, but he was very nice.'
'Why didn't you tell your parents
about the lessons?'
'Oh yes! He learnt very quickly, and
he remembered everything.'
10 'So you taught him to read music. Was he a good
student?'
49
ACTIVITIES: After Reading
4
Here is a
new illustration for the story. Find the best placein the story to put the
picture, and answer these questions.
The picture goes on page .
1
Where are these
people?
2
Who are they
helping, and why?
3
What happened
earlier that evening?
Now write a caption for the
illustration.
Caption:________________________________________________
50
ACTIVITIES: After Reading
5
Write in
the names which go best with these descriptions.
Mr and Mrs
Wood / Mr Gordon / Mrs Lark / Linda Wood / Pip and John / Tony's mother
1
helped Tony to
move the piano.
2
gave Tony time for his piano
lessons, and paid for his lessons at the College of Music.
3
gave Tony his
first piano lessons free.
4
got a job for him on
Mr Wood's farm.
5
taught Tony to
read music.
6
taught Tony to
enjoy singing.
Whose help
do you think was most important to Tony? Put the names of the characters in
order, with the most important one first.
6
Do you
agree (A) or disagree (D) with these sentences?Explain why.
1
If you have a
special feeling for music (or football, orwriting), you don't have to work hard
or practise every day.
2
If you want to be
really good at something, it must bethe most important thing in your life.
3
Luck is more
important than hard work if you want todo well.
4
If you want to do
well, the most important thing is tobelong to a rich family.
51
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
Rosemary Border is a very experienced teacher and
writer, who has also worked as an editor, a lawyer, and a journalist. She is
the author of a great number of books for learners of English - more than she
can remember. 'I stopped counting after 150,' she says. She has written or
retold more than 80 graded readers, including several stories for the Oxford
Bookworms Library. Among these are The Lottery Winner
(an original story, at Stage 1) and Tooth and Claw (a
collection of short stories by Saki, at Stage 3). She lives and works in
Suffolk, in the east of England.
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