12.The Song Of Spring 春日之歌

12- The Song of Spring

One Spring morning, as the cool wind was blowing in the meadow. Little Nutbrown Hare was dozed sleepily with his father. Though he was about to discover that the Spring can be full of surprises.

“Big Nutbrown Hare-Wake up!”

“Good morning. Little Nutbrown Hare. What is it?”

“Ear!”

“Ooh… it looks like we might have a visitor… I wonder who it could be?”

“I think it might be another Little Nutbrown Hare!”

“I’m a Little Field Mouse Hare.”

“I like your new ears.”

“All the better to … tickle you with!”

“Oh no! you lost your ears now.”

“What was that?”

“I… I don’t know!”

“Let’s ask Big Nutbrown Hare. Big Nutbrown Hare!”

“Ooh! Good morning, Little Field Mouse.”

“Did you hear that strange sound?”

“What strange sound?”

“That one! It’s sort of a cracking boinging sort of singing sound.”

“Can you hear it, Big Nutbrown Hare?”

“Hmm… Yes. And I’ve heard that sound before- at the end of last winter and the winter before that. It’s sort of “Goodbye to Winter” and “Welcome to Spring” song.”

“Oh… is it?”

“Yes. And it’s nothing to be frightened of. Maybe you two can solve the puzzle of where it comes from?”

“Yes. I love puzzles! Let’s find the singer of the song!”

“It’s perfectly safe. And it seems like a good game to me.”

“Come on.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

“See you later.”

“Ooohh… if you look up and half-close your eyes…you can see all sorts of shapes.”

“And colours too! Hey! Let’s play “I spy with my little eye?”

“Ok, you go first.”

“I spy with my Little Field Mouse Eye something… green.”

“I know. I know! New Spring leaves on the old oak Tree?”

“That’s right-you guessed it!”

“Swish swish… do you hear that sound Little Field Mouse?”

“Swish swish! I’m the wind- dancing amongst the leaves in the trees.”

“And I’m a leaf swishing in the wind! Let’s play ‘I hear with my little ear’ this time.”

“Okay. but how do you play?”

“Close your eyes first, then listen. And when you hear a sound you open your eyes to find what made it.”

“I can’t hear our Spring song anymore, but I can hear birds.”

“Wow! And there they are!”

“Look at me! Little Nutbrown Hare, I can fly like a bird.”

“The birds are coming back to the meadow -because the Spring is here.”

“Oh… the Spring song!”

“I’m ready to solve the puzzle if you are.”

“Yes! Especially if you hold my hand.”

“Only if you home mine!”

“Good morning!”

“Good morning Little Grey Squirrel!”

“What’s all that noise about?”

“We are sing a song.”

“Oh a song? That’s a very funny song!”

“It’s a Song of Spring.”

“What’s that lovely smell? I remember it from last spring.”

“It smells … delicious!”

“I have a good idea! Why don’t we play ‘I smell with my little nose’?”

“Yes, let’s.”

“How do you play?”

“Well someone chooses a smell… and then the others close their eyes ….and guess what it is?”

“Oh, I get it. I’ll lead you to a smell and you have to guess.”

“That’s right.”

“Ready!”

“It’s one of my favorite smells of Spring – take a sniff.”

“Mmm… It’s a very sweet smell. Is it a big juicy berry?”

“Or... a flower.”

“Yes! A flower. Look. It’s a hyacinth!”

“What’s that?”

“Don’t worry Little Grey Squirrel! It’s only a ‘Welcome to Spring’ song.”

“And we’re going to find the singer!”

“Good luck. Wake me up again when you find out who it is.”

“Can you hear the song?”

“No but I can hear the noisy river gushing. All the snow is melting away!”

“Yes, look at fast it’s flowing!”

“Another song!”

“Hello, Blue Bird!”

“Hello there! It’s good to see you both!”

“Are you going to build a nest with those twigs?”

“Yes, indeed, to lay my eggs in.”

“Oh… New babies! Hooray!”

“Yes! What are you two up to?”

“We trying to solve a puzzle. A singing puzzle. But we can’t hear the song anymore.”

“It goes kind of like this.”

“I know that song. Have patience. You might be closer than you think!”

“Spring singer! Come out. Come out wherever you are!”

“It’s hard being patient.”

“Hello.”

“Oh.. Otter!”

“Hello. Have you been singing a song?”

“Oh, I don’t think so…”

“There it is! Did you hear it?”

“I certainly did. And I think if we follow this stream up to the lake we might just find the singer.”

“Look at the ice – our frozen lake is cracking.”

“That’s right. Because it’s melting, Little Nutbrown Hare.”

“But why?”

“Oh, every spring, the winter ice cracks and melts, so the lake will be ready for us to swim in when summer comes.”

“I think we’ve solved the puzzle!”

“Yes. The lake is singing! Hooray!”

“And isn’t it a beautiful song.”

“I never would have guessed that cracking ice could make a song…”

With the puzzle solved, the friends soon fell silent and watched the sun set over the beautiful lake. But in the distance a new song could be heard….

“Little Nutbrown Hare …!”

“I hear with my little ear – Big Nutbrown Hare – calling you home!”

“My favourite sound of all! At first, I was a bit scared, because I didn’t know what the sound was. But solving the puzzle was fun. Not scary at all.”

“You haven’t told me… what did you discover?”

“That the lake is melting… and it sings as it melts … it’s Spring but it’s still chilly.”

“Shall we warm each other up?”

“Guess how much I love you.”

“As much as you love the sound of the singing lake?”

“No. much much more… as much as I love the sound of you calling me home every night. It’s favorite sound of all.”

“Mmm… and I love calling you home.”