Paddington, Scout and Infernal, Internal, Eternal Music

PADDY: “Goodness! This canola field is full of interesting things, and not just golden canola flowers.”

 

SCOUT: “Which are really yellow canola flowers, Paddy!” *Definite.*

 

PADDY: “Look Scout! A piano! Who would put a piano in the middle of a canola field? Perhaps someone who likes to play in the open air? What do you think, Scout?”

 

SCOUT: “Perhaps, Paddy. Or maybe it was put here for little bears to climb and amuse themselves with whilst their Mummies and Daddies photograph the yellow canola flowers millions of times, like Daddy is doing!”

 

PADDY: “Hhhmmm…” *Contemplates.* “That’s a very interesting and unique thought, Scout.”

 

SCOUT: “Come on! Let’s climb the piano!”

 

PADDY and SCOUT: *Clamber up the side of the upright piano and on to the keyboard.*

 

SCOUT: *Starts walking down the keys.* “Oh Paddy!” *Covers ears with paws.* “What is that awful noise? What is making it? It should stop!”

 

PADDY: “It’s you, Scout: you’re the one making the noise!”

 

SCOUT: *Stops running on keys.* “No I’m not Paddy!” *Offended.* “Stop blaming me!” *Listens.* “Oh good, the noise has stopped now. Phew!”

 

PADDY: “Well of course it’s stopped, Scout. It’s stopped because you have stopped walking.”

 

SCOUT: “Paddy!” *Places paws on hips.* “I walk all over the place and I never make a nasty noise like that when I do!”

 

PADDY: “Well no, Scout, but when you walk on piano keys like you are now, you will. I’ll show you.” *Starts walking on keys one at a time, an out of tune note arising as he steps on each key.* “See!”

 

SCOUT: “Oh I’m glad I’m not the only bear afflicted by this problem! You are too!”

 

PADDY: *Reaches Scout.* “It’s not an affliction, Scout, it is simply the piano making music when you press the keys. That’s how a piano works.”

 

SCOUT: “Really Paddy?” *Jumps up and down on keys energetically* “Oh! So it does! Well, in that case, since I made this music, it doesn’t sound so bad at all! In fact, this sounds like that eternal music Daddy plays at home sometimes.”

 

PADDY: “Eternal music, Scout?”

 

SCOUT: “Well, maybe it’s called infernal music.”

 

PADDY: “Infernal music, Scout?”

 

SCOUT: “Yes! Daddy’s partner comes down and says, ‘Can’t you shut that infernal racket off?’”

 

PADDY: *Giggles.* “Oh, that kind of music!” *Giggles more.* “I think you’ll find that called atonal music, Scout, and yes, Daddy plays pieces like that by Arnold Schöenberg.”

 

SCOUT: “So we could make our own eternal music on this piano then, Paddy, by dancing on the keys?”

 

PADDY: “Atonal music, Scout.” *Looks at piano keys.* “Well, it is a little out of tune being out here in the field, but I guess so. We could dance across the keys.”

 

SCOUT: “Oh goody!” *Starts jumping up and down on the keys, making a terrible racket.* “Wheeeeee! We can make our own infernal music!”

 

PADDY: “A-tonal music, Scout, and yes we can.”

 

SCOUT: “Infernal, internal, eternal: music is music, Paddy! Let’s just make it! Hoorah! Wheeeeee!” *Makes more noise jumping on the keys.*

 

PADDY: “And Dolly can dance too!”

 

SCOUT: *Gasps and stops jumping on the keys.* “No she can’t, Paddy!” *Shakes head adamantly.*

 

PADDY: “Why not, Scout? Don’t you want her to dance with you?”

 

SCOUT: “Well of course I do, Paddy. It’s just that…”

 

PADDY: “What Scout?”

 

SCOUT: “Well…” *Lowers voice.* “Dolly doesn’t have any legs.” *Gasps.* “She only has a funny second head of Granny under there, which I don’t like as much as the Little Red Riding Hood head.” *Lifts skirt and gasps when he sees second head.*

 

PADDY: “Well, maybe she can do something else then. Can she sing, Scout?”

 

SCOUT: *Gasps.* “No Paddy!” *Shakes head again.* “I don’t want Dolly to sing! I want to sing!”

 

PADDY: “But you will be dancing on the keys, Scout.”

 

SCOUT: “I know, but I am a bear with many talents!” *Proud.* “I can sing and dance at the same time!”

 

PADDY: “Then what will Dolly do?”

 

SCOUT: “Dolly can do what she does best, and enjoys doing, Paddy.”

 

PADDY: “And what is that, Scout?”

 

SCOUT: “She can sit here and look pretty and clap when we sing and dance!”

 

PADDY: “Oh!”

 

SCOUT: *Puts Dolly on the music rack.* “You stay there Dolly and remember to clap loudly. Alright?” *Dolly says nothing. Scout nods at Dolly.* “Good!”

 

PADDY: “Well, now we have that sorted, Scout. Shall we begin?”

 

SCOUT: “Yes! Are you ready, Paddy?”

 

PADDY: “Yes.”

 

SCOUT: “Maybe if we dance loudly enough, Daddy will stop his photograph taking and come and watch us!”

 

PADDY: “We can only hope so, Scout! Let’s begin! One… two… three!”

 

SCOUT and PADDY: *Begin dancing on the keys making a terrible racket as they do.*

 

There is only one place in Victoria that I know of where you where can walk right into the canola fields and immerse yourself in the glorious and bright golden yellow flowers, and that is at the 'Cornella Canola Walk'. In conjunction with the Shiraz Republic Winery and Cornella Brewery just outside of Heathcote in country Victoria, a canola walk has established complete with a viewing platform and walking track through the flowering yellow crop. And this is where my bears Paddy and Scout, and I, went on Saturday. Amongst the vast fields of canola, there stood one single tree with wonderfully twisted branches. This tree is known as the Piano Tree, because beneath its twisted branches at its base stands an old Victorian upright piano. Made by K. Schmidt Piano Manufacturers in Berlin, the upright piano is made of walnut and has beautiful panels inlaid with brass. Although out of tune, the piano can still be played, and was played by Paddy and Scout as they performed their impromptu concert. That is how I know the piano was out of tune!

 

My Paddington Bear came to live with me in London when I was two years old (many, many years ago). He was hand made by my Great Aunt and he has a chocolate coloured felt hat, the brim of which had to be pinned up by a safety pin to stop it getting in his eyes. The collar of his mackintosh is made of the same felt. He wears wellington boots made from the same red leather used to make the toggles on his mackintosh.

 

He has travelled with me across the world and he and I have had many adventures together over the years. He is a very precious member of my small family.

 

Scout was a gift to Paddy from my friend. He is a Fair Trade Bear hand knitted in Africa. His name comes from the shop my friend found him in: Scout House. He tells me that life was very different where he came from, and Paddy is helping introduce him to many new experiences. Scout catches on quickly, and has proven to be a cheeky, but very lovable member of our closely knit family.

Done