The Out of Tune Instruments | A Short Story Written By Lucia & Marco Ciappelli (English Version) | Stories Sotto Le Stelle Podcast | Short Stories For Children And The Young At Heart

The Out of Tune Instruments

On the bank of a stream, where a great many colorful little fish swam, lived a small family: mamma, babbo, and their seven children — four boys and three girls. Their house was a bit far from the town of Strumentopoli, but being close to the stream and next to the Great Forest made it a wonderful place to live.

Mamma lovingly tended the vegetable garden. Babbo, on the other hand, was a woodworker who crafted musical instruments from the finest trunks, chosen among the sturdiest and most fragrant trees in the forest.

The children went to school in the village. In winter, they reached it on skis, while in spring and autumn they rode in a cart pulled by two young deer — one white and one black, like the keys of a piano.

Before they left, babbo counted them one by one to make sure no one was missing. Then, as he did every day, he reminded them:

“Behave yourselves, don’t skip school, and remember the tale of Pinocchio and his nose!”
Those words always ended with a smile from everyone.

Babbo would then return to his workshop. His instruments were well-made, using excellent materials, but there was one problem: they were out of tune. Still, as a good luthier, he didn’t lose heart. His passion for music was so strong that teaching his children to play had become a joy. He even gave them special names: Chitarra, Violino, Oboe, Liuto, Arpa, Bongo, and Ukulele.

Mamma didn't object. Of course, naming them after vegetables might have been funny, but their village friends probably would’ve made fun of them.

The children did well in school, and when they came home, they helped mamma in the garden. One day, though, they mistook some nettle plants for lettuce — what a sting! They all ran straight to the stream and jumped in to soothe the burning.

The little fish burst into laughter:
“You’re so silly! Ah ah ah!”

Mamma helped them out of the water and, turning to the fish, said:
“This evening, at sunset, there will be a concert in our courtyard. My children will perform with their instruments. You’re all invited!”

The fish replied enthusiastically:
“Thanks for the invitation! We’ll be there for sure — it’s going to rain, and we love splashing! Splich, sploch, splach!”

That evening turned out to be a real party. At the concert of slightly strange and delightfully quirky music, everyone had a blast: the musicians, the animals from the forest, and even the fish — who mamma cheerfully sprayed with water.

After that joyful evening, life went back to its usual pace: school, garden, and even the forest. In fact, during their free time, the children often helped babbo choose and cut wood to build his instruments.

The Great Forest had become familiar to them. So one day, while they were playing there and climbing trees, the kids spotted a group of gnomes huddled together, looking agitated. They quickly hid behind some bushes to observe and listen in on their conversation.

The meeting, called in great haste, was to make a decision about an imminent danger. A powerful storm was on the way. They spoke of a hurricane wind that hadn’t been seen or heard in a hundred years — or perhaps even longer — and it was heading for the forest.

“We must stop it, by any means,” said the gnomes.

So they decided to call on an old ally: the Great Warrior of the Mountain, armed with a sword and magical powers. He was the one who, in the past, had already defeated dragons and even extraterrestrials who had tried to conquer Earth.

The seven children, alarmed by the news and determined to help in the battle, ran quickly back to the house — also to warn the villagers of the impending danger. Meanwhile, the wind drew closer. You could hear it from afar — wild and howling. As it passed, the trees bent until their tops brushed the ground. Some swayed, others snapped, and a few were completely uprooted.

The people of Strumentopoli, who had begun to feel the wind blowing through the village streets and saw the Great Warrior descending the mountain, grew concerned — but they didn’t panic. Everyone grabbed their instruments and rushed toward the house by the stream to help the family who lived there, and together try to save the Great Forest.

At the same time, the colorful fish arrived — united and determined — along with the other animals of the woods and stream.

“All together we can form a barrier and block the wind!” they shouted in unison.

At that moment, the children of the family — still out of breath from running — stepped forward and said:
“We have our babbo’s instruments too. They’re strange, a bit out of tune… but if we all play together, maybe we can stop the storm.” And with that, they rushed into the house and came back out in no time at all.

The gnomes, fully aware of the instruments’ flaws, cast a powerful musical spell. When the children began to play, something magical happened. For the first time, the music was melodious, harmonious, and full of feeling.One by one, all the people of Strumentopoli joined in. Each person, with their own instrument, contributed as if they were all part of one great orchestra.

The hurricane wind — engaged in a fierce battle with the Great Warrior of the Mountain — heard the music from afar and immediately began to calm. Its howling softened, and by the time it reached the forest, it had become a cool mountain gust, and finally… a gentle valley breeze.

The wind had become part of that marvelous orchestra — the battle was won thanks to everyone. Each had offered their own music and helped bring about the victory.

“United we are strong,” they all said proudly.

The babbo luthier continued building instruments with the finest wood the forest had to offer. They were so beautiful and sounded so good that people said they were the most melodic ever heard.

The children — Chitarra, Violino, Oboe, Liuto, Arpa, Bongo, and Ukulele — joined the village band. At every festival, they played with great success, cheered on by applause and warm smiles. Even the gnomes and the Great Warrior listened to their music… from the forest and the mountain.

The colorful fish swam and danced happily in the stream, and when someone passed by, they greeted them with joyful splashes.

The family continued to live near the Great Forest, and on summer evenings, when everything finally grew quiet, they would lie along the stream and watch the stars above. Their hearts would tell stories… and the night would write the happy ending of every tale.

-- Written by Lucia & Marco Ciappelli

Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.

The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!

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