The wonderful organ

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Part of The Young Citizen: The Magazine for Young People

Title: The wonderful organ
Language: English
Year: 1935
Rights
Fulltext: /)1('r't11IH'r, l!U:; THE YOUNG CITIZEN 29 7 Tl-H: WONDl:RFUL ORGAN By FELICIDAD DANI ' *Principal, Singalong Elementary School. FATHER CRUZ looked long and carefully at the old church organ. He shook his head. He could not quite believe the tale that went with it. But the organ was there. The old stone church had been 1·ebuilt th1·ee times. The organ had remained as good as new. The years had turned its deep, red color to almost black, but the birds and flowers which were ca1·ved on its two sides still looked very real. The beautiful, bright colors still clung to the wood. They were as fresh as ever. And the music that it gave, especially on Chl'istmas mornings, was the sweetest that was ever heard. Indeed, every year, people came from all parts of the country to hear the old organ played. Father Cruz smiled, then turning his eyes towai·d the image of the Son of God · nailed on the c1·oss, the smile died slowly on his lips. "God," he muttered, "one of God's wonders.'' Benito was young. He was only fourteen years old. But in the whole town, no one could carve better than he. That was the only reason why the alferez had not turned him out into the streets. For, of all the slaves in the house, Benito was the most awkward and cai·eless. When he washed dishes, he always broke either a plate or a saucer. When he waited at the table, he spilled the food on the guests' clothes. But he was most skillful with the knife. He could carve beautifully. That was what the guests of his master always said when they saw the furnitme in the house. And his maste1· was well pleased. One evening, four days before Christmas, he was busy polishing the floor with banana leaves, when he heard a carriage stop in front of the house. The -alfe1'ez had ar· 1·ived. Behind him came four men who were carrying something heavy. It was wrapped in black, heavy cloth. T h e y brnught it to the sala, and then went away. "Benito," called the alferez, as he uncovered it. "Do you know what this is? This is an 01·gan for the church." THE YOUNG CITIZEN Dccrmbrr, f.'I~) "An organ for the church?" murmured Benito to himself. To him, it looked like a small piano. He saw a piano once in the house of the gobernadorci/lo. "Stop staring at the organ, you stupid boy," cried the al/erez. And he gave him a box on the ea1'. "See this picture? I want you to carve it on the two sides of this organ. Do you understand? Finish the work on Christmas Day." When his master had left the room, Benito passed his hand lightly over the surface of the organ. How beautiful the wood was! It was deep red, and very hard and smooth. However, the two sides on which the picture was to be ca1·ved, were very white and soft. Benito wished he could begin the work right away. To carve that beautiful picture on that wonderful wood was better than washing dishes, polish;ng the floor, cleaning oily lamps, or fetching water from the well. And then, he was never whipped when he was carving. But carving was slow work, especially when one carved beautifully. Christmas ·Eve came. One side of the organ was finished. It was beautifully done. But the maste1· had said that both sides should be finished by Christmas Eve. Benito bent his head lower over his work. He knew what the alferez would rlo to him. He took a look at the corne1· of the room where the rattan whip hang. It looked harmless, but Benito knew how much pain it could give. Once, while he was carrying a basin of water to h.is master's room, he slipped, and the basin fell on the floor. The master, greatly angered, took the whip and struck him with it. It fell on his back. For more than a month, he could not sleep on his back neither could he fetch water from the well without feeling as if all the bones on his back would break. "Benito," called the alfei·ez loudly. Benito turned very pale. · "Where is the organ? Have you finished it?" Benito answered not a word. The alferez approached the trembling boy and looked at the organ. Benito wished he could run away. "Not finished!" thundered the alferez. . "'Not finished! Did I not tell you to finish it on Christmas Eve?" He took the whip. He swung it over his head. Then it sang in the air. Benito tried to ward off the blow with his right hand. But when the whip struck his hand, he quickly drew it away-his whole body twisted with pain. "Finish it tomolTOW morning. Do you hear?" cried the alferez. "Finish it, or I'll break every bone in your body. Benito sat back to work. It took him about four days to finish one side of the organ. How could he finish the other side in one night? He felt wea1·y, very weary. His right hand was black and swollen. He looked at it and then at the organ that must be finished by the next morning. He held the knife in both hands, and began to work. tPlease tum fo page 325) THE WONDERFUL ORGAN (Continued from pugc 298) The night deepened. Now and then. the silence was broken by sounds from firecrackers. In other houses, other boys like him were playing and having a good time. ''Good evening." someone called at the gate. "Will you give a tired traveller a drink of water?" "Good evening." answered Benito, as he came down the house with the drinking bowl. The stranger drank the water and said, "Thank you." Then he returned the co::o:iut bowl to Benito. "Your h.rnJ is bleeding." h..: observed. The voi..::c was soft and kind. No one had spoken to Benito as kindly as that before. Benito looked at his hand anJ saw that it wa.s. indeed, bleeding. "I am working on the organ for the church. It must be finished hy tcmorrow morning." Benito ,c;aid softly, as if he were saying his prayers. "And will you finish it? asked the srranger. "'If I can keep awake, I will try hard to finish it." Benito answered. ··1 am very sleepy.'' "Let me tell you stories, then. while you work,'' said th:.> stranger Benito looked around him. Thi.! bouse was very ::till. The ulfern had gcu\e to hear ,he midnight mas~. The onie< slaves w1.:1e fast asleep Benito led the stranger upstairs. He sat a.a the floor in front of Benito. Then he told Benito stories. He told him abo:.it the fairy moonbeams that danced and leap2d among the leaves of the trees and about golden fishes that played hide-and-seek among the corals ur.der the deep. blue sea. He told him. too. about a land where the birds were always gay and the flowers never withered. As he spoke, thl? ,;re v;:ry kind to you." The little boy was very happy because of his new toy, and the mother was very happy because of the happiness of her boy. The mother and the son felt the joy of Christmas Day. THE YOUNG CITIZEN LIMB AS (Conlinu<'d .from pagr .116) Perto on the ground held lh\.' string of his kite with trembling hands. At first he had been smiling. But now h:.> did not know what to do. The wind had blown harder and harder carrying his brave lamp glowed more brightly. The room seemed to be flooded with moonlight. But outside, it was very dark. A sweet delicious scent hung in the cold, December air. And from afar. came the sofr. swec-r strains of an unknown song. The knife dropped from the yo;J.ng boy·s hands. His head sank lower in hi1> breast. The stranger's quiet voice had lulled the tired b:::iy to sleep Then. all of a sudden. the stil!P.ess was broken by the ringing of the bells telling of the birth of the Saviour. The Christmas morning was bright and cheery. - When Benito awoke, the sunshine was streamin:; into the room through the win· dows. He remembered the organ with a start. He felt very much frightened. He took the knife right away and looked for the part which he had left unfinished. He coulJ r;ot find it. Both sides of the org"n were done in the same beauti· ful way. More than that, they were beautifully pintcd. Beni10 did ·HH ~,now how to paint. Who had fin1~hed the organ and painted it wh:le he was asleep? Then Benito remembered the strange visitor of th(' night. He looked at the organ again. The flowers looked so fresh he kn('W tbey would never wither, and the h;rds looked so gay, he knew the~· \:ould alw~ys remain so. He looked at the leaves. The moonbeams werE still there. Then he looked at his hand. 1'. was completely healed. For the first time in many yens ttars stood in Benito's eyes. Bm he was too simple and good of heart to be afraid. Lifting his eyes up to the sky, he murmured softly to himself. "God, I thank You fo1 all Your kindness." wbite kite up. up. high';!r and higher. although he tried hard to pull the kite down. The string w.,s humming loud and he had all he could to prevent himself from be ing lifted up into the air. The white kite grew smaller and small er and then suddenly, h~ fell back on the sand. The string h:iJ ~napp:?d broken and the "limbas .. was gone sailing· in the, wind farther and farther away. Perto sat on th~ sand sobbing. The "limbas" was fast disappearing, his dear, bra Vi!, little "limbas." He saw the broken half of the string gleaming in the wind and noticed that the little kite was flying lower and lower. Quickly wiping his eyes, he ran away in the direction taken by the "limbas." Half an hour later, he found the "limbas" still· flying over the roof of a nipa house. The string it carried had caught around a lamp post and the kite flew up and down a'i if trying to free itself. Perto ran here and there looking for something. A policeman standing near the lamp po~t watched him as he ran. Perto found a long pole standing against the wall of a house. V..'ithout asking the owner any permission, Perto took the pole and went back to the street. He was about to reach the string caught around the lamp post when the policeman stopped him. "Wait." the policenian said. Perto wanted to cry again. but he stood still at the policeman's bidding. They saw the kite flying up and down. Sometimes it whirled wund and round and then it would suddenly fall down again. As they watched the kite whirl again for the second time, it suddenly flew toward the wires. There was a hiss ;ind a sudden light, and the kite burst into flame. 'The next moment it had curned into ashes. "Did you see that~" asked the policeman. Perto. pale with fright. nodded at the policeman He would ha\l'e died if he had touched the wires with the pole.