Mr Oriole and the Flute

It was a gorgeous, summery day and the windows of the concert hall were open wide. Like this, the orchestra musicians could breathe freely while they rehearsed, which they did every day. Today the music drifted through the streets and into a nearby park where a bird called Mr Oriole happened to be perched in a lime tree.

Mr Oriole is a small yellow bird belonging to the Eurasian golden oriole species; he had returned from the warm south now that winter was over in these northern parts. As he whistled his sweet melodies, this spritely bird was very much enjoying the view from the treetop and the lovely, familiar scent of the fresh breeze. And oh, how his vivid yellow feathers glistened in the sunlight!

Suddenly, the most beautiful song he had ever heard tickled his ears – the twittering tones of a flute had floated over to him from the concert hall.

“Oh, what a marvellous voice! That must be one magnificent oriole!” thought Mr Oriole to himself, imagining a gorgeous lady bird. He was quite sure that no one else could sing so splendidly. He decided to fly closer to the building to take a look. When he peeked through one of the open windows, his eyes fell on a slender, shiny, and utterly stunning object: a flute.

Thelma Button, the flautist, was blowing into the flute, her fingers flitting over the tone holes. The sounds emanating from the instrument were sweet and magical. Which is no wonder, as the orchestra was in the midst of rehearsing an opera called The Magic Flute. Mr Oriole couldn’t take his eyes off the dazzling creature.

Oh, what an exquisite bird. Who is that? he thought to himself.

The orchestra played expertly, but Mr Oriole found…