Read Online A Simple Song by Melody Carlson - Free Book Online

be late.”
    â€œLet’s start singing now,” Bekka suggested, “to warm our voices up.”
    Cal looked a bit uneasy with this idea, and Katrina suspected that he, like her, still grappled with the idea of singing for enjoyment. What if Daed found out they were singing out here on the road?
    But already Bekka was starting a song and Peter and Cooper were joining in as if nothing whatsoever was wrong. Katrina gave her brother an apologetic smile, and then she began to sing as well. By the second verse, Cal was singing too. By the time they came to the end of the tune, they were all singing boisterously.
    â€œVery good.” Bekka clapped her hands, then turned around and pointed to Katrina. “You should sing your dragon song.”
    â€œKatrina knows a dragon song?” Cooper asked.
    Before she could respond, everyone—except for Cal—was begging her to sing the dragon song. She looked at Cal, and he just shrugged.
    â€œCome on,” Bekka urged. “It’s such a pretty song.”
    So again Katrina sang “Puff, the Magic Dragon.” When she finished, they all clapped and insisted she teach it to them. By the time they reached the Nash barn, they all knew the chorus. The barn was alight with lanterns, and it sounded like there were several musical instruments playing tonight. Katrina could hardly wait to get inside. Soon they were all clapping and singing along with all their friends.
    They hadn’t been there long before it was time to take a break and enjoy some refreshments. “Wait!” Cooper called out to the group. “Before you start the break, we have a song for you.” Naturally, everyone was interested, clapping and encouraging Cooper to sing. “My friends have to join me,”he said loudly. “Come on, Katrina, Bekka, Peter, and Cal. Come up here.”
    Bekka grabbed Katrina by the hand, pulling her up to the front. Katrina exchanged glances with Cal, but he didn’t seem as concerned as he was earlier.
    â€œThe name of the song is ‘Puff, the Magic Dragon,’” Bekka yelled out. “Feel free to sing along if you know it.”
    â€œOr you can just get your food if you want to,” Peter added.
    â€œGo ahead.” Cooper nudged Katrina. “Start us out.”
    Feeling nervous but excited, Katrina began to sing the chorus. It turned out that several others knew the song too. After the chorus, which her friends had learned nicely, she realized she was the only one still singing, and she nearly stopped. But Bekka kept nodding her head as if to tell her to keep going, so Katrina continued to sing all the verses, and everyone joined in on the choruses. It wasn’t until she’d finished the song—and everyone was clapping loudly—that she realized no one had gone to the refreshment table.
    â€œThat was great!” Cooper told her.
    Even Cal slapped her on the back. “Well done, sis.”
    During the break lots of other friends came up to compliment her or thank her for singing. Naturally, this made her feel even more self-conscious. What would her parents think? However, when it was time to return to singing, she was asked to sing them another song—simply so they could listen.
    â€œCome on,” Cooper urged her. “Don’t keep that voice to yourself.”
    The others clapped now, calling out encouragement. She went up front, and trying not to nervously twist the ends of her shawl, she told them that she liked songs that told stories. “I’m not sure, but I think this one is called ‘One Tin Soldier.’I had to listen to it quite a few times before I understood its meaning.” It was one of the favorites of the radio station, and she’d probably heard it a dozen times by now.
    The barn grew very quiet as she sang the opening words: “Listen, children, to a story . . .” She continued singing loud and clear, telling a story in song about a