Animal Amulets (5)
The deeper she got into the wood the darker it got. There was a tremendous silence. It was obvious the birds didn´t hang out here because she couldn´t hear anything that sounded like jazz. Then she heard something in the distance that sounded like a banjo. It was rattling to a lively tune. She moved some of the leaves and branches out of her way and there she spied a grey hare plipping and plopping away on the banjo. He started to sing. Molly butted in.
“Ahem, excuse me but do you know a toad called Thunder thighs?”
The hare was so startled he dropped the banjo, “kablang,” it went as it hit the stony ground. “Oh there you are,” said the hare suddenly. “I know nothing about no toad by that name, why don´t we ask the banjo,” he suggested. Molly thought she had better make an excuse and leave, this hare was clearly barmy.
He asked the banjo if it knew anything. The banjo said nothing. He looked at Molly in a baffled way.
“Well, what are you waiting for, it´ll hardly give you an answer if you stare at it, pick it up and pluck the strings,” he said and sighed at Molly´s stupidity.
Molly picked up the banjo. She plucked one string. She plucked another. It sounded like a banjo that was out of tune. The hare grabbed it off her, “no wonder it´s not making sense, give it here and I´ll tune it up for you,” huffed the hare.
He tuned it up and handed it back to her. She plucked the strings and the banjo sang out in it´s plinkety plankety way, “You´re very close, just go straight on and turn left at the largest oak tree, you can´t miss it.”
Molly was delighted. She had never heard a banjo speak before. She wondered who was playing who? Was the hare playing the banjo or was it really the banjo playing the hare?
“It´s a combination of both,” responded the hare.
“Hey, how did you know I was thinking that?” asked the puzzled mouse.
“It´s the banjo, it reads your thoughts,” said the hare, “ and I think it wants to go with you on your journey. The banjo was hopping out of the hare´s hands towards Molly.
“Take it with you but don´t forget to bring it back to me,” said the hare and he smiled as he put the banjo strap around Molly´s head and under her arm. Suddenly the smile left his face.
“What happened to your ear, “ he asked gravely.
“It´s a long story but it´s part of the reason I have to find this toad.” said Molly.
“Good luck you two!” he yelled as the strange pair headed straight toward the largest oak tree.