The musical forest is full of beautiful musical animals. They spend all day singing and dancing and playing. Even the wind blowing through the forest whistles beautiful tunes that make the trees sway.
But there are dark pockets in the forest, pockets of silence… or so it seems. Living underground are the mice and the moles and the weasels, aaaing and oooing and eeeing with their squeaky little voices.
But one day, a little mouse decides to go aboveground. She’s afraid of being shunned by the musical animals, but she’s even more afraid of living in the dark forever. Despite warnings from all the underground animals, she bravely climbs out of the burrow. When she turns to wave goodbye, she is surprised to see how many of her friends are standing, ready to follow her into the light.
As she walks forward with her little friends, she is spotted by a beautiful robin. The robin looks at her with horror and yeep-yeeps a warning to all the other musical animals. The little mouse cowers in fear, but when she sees her friends’ sad little faces, she gives them a brave little smile, and continues forward.
But soon, she is spotted by a beautiful wolf. The wolf looks at her with horror and ooo-wooooos a warning to all the other musical animals. The little mouse’s heart thuds in her little chest. Is she really that disgusting? But she puts one brave paw in front of another and keeps going.
But soon, she is spotted by a swan, the most beautiful animal in the forest. The swan looks at her with horror. His feathers bristle with disgust and he bu-uuups until all the musical animals gather around him.
They laugh and point at the little mouse and her friends until the little mouse gives up on her dream to live aboveground. She closes her little eyes and stumbles backwards towards her burrow. But once her eyes are closed, her ears perk up and she listens for the first time to the music they are creating…
The little aaas
With the loud yeeps…
The little eees
With the loud woos…
The little ooos
With the loud buuups…
Before anyone can stop her, the little mouse bravely jumps up and closes the swan’s eyes with her little paws. The swan tries to get away, but then he hears the most beautiful music he’s ever heard. The other musical animals also close their eyes, surprised at the beauty their joint voices are creating.
When they open their eyes, their eyes are full of wonder, but also guilt and regret. One by one, each of them sings apologies to the little mouse and her friends. For finally, they realize that true beauty is created through friendship… not fear.
With all its animals joined in harmony, the musical forest sounds more beautiful than ever before, and the little mouse and her friends never live in silence again.
Tasneem Dairywala 