Transcription
Once upon a time, there was an orchestra which was all busy tuning up. First, the oboe gave his A to the strings, to the woodwinds, to the brass. Up and around the scales they raced, helter-skelter, faster and faster. Oh, but Tubby the tuba, a fat little tuber, puffing away, but oh so slow.
[Music]
"Oh, what lovely music," thought Tubby. "Here, what's the matter?" said people, the piccolo.
[Music]
"Oh," said Tubby. "Every time we do a new piece, you all get such pretty melodies to play, and I never, never a pretty melody. But people never write melodies for tubas. It just isn't done."
"Oh, there's the conductor!" First, the violins dance the lovely little tune on their strings. Then they cried to the flute, "Catch!"
[Music]
"Got it!" cried the flute. "My turn, too!" To the trumpet, and the rest joined in.
[Music]
The cello.
[Music]
The oboe. The bassoon.
[Music]
While Tubby went, "Um."
[Music]
"Catch me!" cried the little tune. "Catch me!" "Got you!" cried Tubby.
[Music]
"Oh, you're sitting on me!" said the little tune. Poor Tubby picked up the flat little tune and tried to squeeze it back into shape.
"Oh, you clumsy fool!" snapped the violins. "I'm sorry, Mr. Fiddle," said Tubby. "Fiddle will!" And the violins quivered with great indignation. "You will please address us as violins. Fiddles, indeed!"
"Tubby," said the conductor. "Tubby, what is the matter?"
"Please, sir, I thought it would be so nice to dance with the pretty little tune instead of going 'umpa, umpa' all the time."
"Dance?" laugh the violins. "Dance? Well, really." The French horn quietly put his hand to his mouth and smiled, and the whole orchestra began to laugh.
[Music]
"Stop it!" cried the conductor. "Stop what?"
"I say, Tubby,"
"Please, sir, I wasn't laughing."
Rehearsal was over. Tubby was walking home with people, the piccolo.
[Music]
"Please, people," said Tubby. "I just feel so bad. I don't think I want any company."
"I understand," said people. "Good night."
"Good night," said Tubby.
[Music]
The moon was out. Tubby went to the river and sat down on a log, and he looked at himself in the water. "Alone am I? Me and I together? If I went away from me, how unhappy I would be. Me and I. Oh, my."
The trees whispered in the wind. The waterfalls tinkled. Had that old hood owl who tabled?
[Music]
Suddenly, a big bullfrog hopped out of the water and sat down beside him. "Ahem. Bog up. Ball gop. Lovely evening. Bug up. Bug up."
"I," said, "lovely evening."
"Clunk, clunk, clunk, trunk. Hello."
But Tubby just sat. "Oh well," said the frog. "Oh well, if I'm not wanted."
"Oh!" cry Tubby. "Please, Mr. Frog, come back! I didn't mean to be impolite."
"Back up," the frog.
[Music]
"Oh, that's all right. I'm used to it. Nobody pays any attention to me either."
"Really?" said Tubby.
"Oh, why of course! Every night I sit here and sing my heart out, but does anyone listen to me? No."
[Music]
"Can you sing?" ask Tubby.
"Can I sing?"
[Music]
"Oh, that's lovely," said Tubby.
"You try it," said the frog.
"Oh, thank you," said Tubby.
[Music]
"Say, you're a very fine tuba. Do you know it, Tubby? You should try that on your orchestra sometime."
"Oh, I will," say Tubby. "Goodbye, Mr. Frog." And off went Tubby, as happy as happy could be.
"Hmm," said the frog. "Most appreciative audience I've ever had. Fine musician, that you bar. Bog up. Bog up. Lovely evening, I said. Lovely evening, I said. Beautiful evening. Hello. Bug up. Hello. Good night."
The next day, the orchestra was busy tuning up for the rehearsal. At buzzing with excitement over the arrival of the great new conductor, Senor Pizzicato. Tubby practiced his "umpa" and smiled to himself.
[Music]
"People, the piccolo!" caught his eye. "Feeling better?" "Aha!" wink Tubby.
"Here he comes!" called the French horn. "Here comes Senor Pizzicato!"
[Music]
"All right, begin!" And Tubby began to play his own little melody.
"Oh, that wretched you were!" snapped the violins. "He'll disgrace us!" The trombone stuck out his tongue, and the trumpet snickered.
"Tommy," said Senor Pizzicato. "Tubby, I've never heard a tuba play a melody before. Let's hear the rest of it."
"Oh," said Tubby.
[Music]
"Why, how perfectly wonderful," murmured the strings. "Please, Tubby, may we sing your tune too?"
"How about me?" cried the xylophone.
[Music]
"And me?" said the trombone. "May I?" said the cellist.
"Here I come!" cry people.
[Music]
And they all play.
[Applause]
[Music]
"Well, we've done it, haven't we, Tubby?" It was the bullfrog, sitting right beside him. "We have our points too, don't we?"
"And oh," or Tubby, "how happy I am."
You.