I received this story at a conference several years ago. Like many stories and verses you get at a Waldorfy conference, this is on a photocopied page with no author attributed, so I'm going to share it. Jack didn't know he would learn the flute in first grade, so I told this to him the night before his first lesson and in the morning his own flute magically appeared. Lucy has know since then that when she started first grade Jack would move up a flute and she would receive his. I read this story to her yesterday, on our first actual day of school.
Dear Heart and the Recorder
Once upon a time there was a young shepherd boy whose name was Dear Heart. In the small village where he lived there was a beautiful young maiden whom Dear Heart liked very much. But the beautiful young maiden took no notice of the young shepherd boy.
One day Dear Heart took his sheep out into the meadow to graze. The beautiful warm sun made him very sleepy. He decided to take a rest beneath the boughs of a majestic maple tree. He soon fell into a deep sleep. In his dream he heard beautiful music. He looked up to find that a woodpecker had made holes in one of the branches and as the wind passed through the branch beautiful music was made. Dear Heart wished that he too could make such beautiful music.
When Dear Heart woke from his dream, to his amazement, a beautiful recorder was sitting in his lap. Dear Heart picked up the recorder very carefully. He felt the smooth surface of the branch given so freely by the tree. He admired the holes made by the woodpecker. He held the recorder to his lips and gently blew through the recorder as if he were a gentle breeze. He too made beautiful music.
Dear Heart carefully wrapped the recorder in his scarf and tucked it in his pocket. He thought of nothing else as he brought his sheep home for the night.
A few months later all the people in the village were gaily celebrating a festival. Everyone had worked so hard to make this day so special. Dear Heart wanted to do something special for everyone so he began to play his recorder. Everyone enjoyed his music so much - especially the beautiful maiden.
Year later, Dear Heart and the beautiful maiden married and to this day they make beautiful music together.
People seem to call the Choroi instrument a "flute" or "recorder" interchangeably. I prefer calling it a flute, but want J and L to know that it can also be called a recorder. So when telling this story I use both words. Tomorrow I'll share how I learned to play and how I teach.
