A swan with a speech defect. . . ? But (one may counter) "When Mrs.
Frederick C. Little's second son was born, everyone noticed that he
was not much bigger than a mouse." So he was, in the first
sentence, while Louis the Swan's peculiar problem comes to light
slowly in the Canadian wilderness where Sam Beaver and his father
are camping, the better to fish (Mr. Beaver) and explore (Sam). He
exults in watching wild creatures in wild places - now the two
trumpeter swans and their nest, then the fifth cygnet who, unable
to beep, takes hold of his shoelace and gives it a pull, "like a
greeting." Meanwhile the long-winded father swan, the cob, and his
commonsensical wife grow concerned about Louis' handicap (if he
can't trumpet how will he attract a mate?) and Louis, at the
family's winter base in Montana, determines to "develop myself
along other lines": he will seek out Sam and learn to read and
write. Which done - in Mrs. Hammerbottom's first grade - he returns
with slate and chalk, extends an eager "Hi, there," and draws a
blank; nor does Serena, his chosen one, respond to his desperate "I
love you." Now the cob, who's considered it, will have to go to
Billings and get Louis a trumpet. It is this theft, and the need to
make restitution (they are "by nature law-abiding"), that starts
Louis on his remarkable career, first, coached by Sam, as Camp
Kookooskoos' official trumpeter (and emergency life-saver), then as
accompanist for the Swan Boats in Boston's Public Garden (where
"There's a Small Hotel," the Ritz Carlton), finally as top
attraction at a Philadelphia night club. Bird Lake in the Zoo
offers temporary refuge, and there Serena blows in (literally), to
be awakened with "Beau - ti - ful dream - er. . . " and won
forever. At last Louis, a rich bird, can return home; his father,
boasting manfully, can redeem the family honor; and the
storekeeper, overcompensated, can only wonder. . . while Serena and
Louis content themselves with annual sorties to the scenes of his
triumphs. The start is a jolt, and subsequently there are breaks
(Louis has had no prior exposure to the written word) and some big
accidents - especially Serena's abrupt reappearance. However, when
Louis raises his trumpet - to serenade the skeptical hotel clerk,
for instance - or Mr. White pinions human foibles - "Kookooskoos"
because "a boy's camp should have a peculiar name" - reservations
have a way of evaporating. (Kirkus Reviews)
Swan Song
Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis can't trumpet joyfully. In fact, he can't even make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena pays absolutely no attention to him.
Louis tries everything he can think of to win Serena's affection--he even goes to school to learn to read and write. But nothing seems to work. Then his father steals him a real brass trumpet. Is a musical instrument the key to winning Louis his love?
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
