+++ Read the story first +++
*** Pop goes the Weasel ***
"Why can't we go home", whined Kiara.
The little serval kitten was sitting in the arms of her mother, who had decided to visit a flea market with her, hoping to catch some fresh air in the first sunny days of spring.
Kiara still walked on all fours mostly, so her mother had picked her up before entering the market square. A few thousand busy paws aren't the best place for a little kitten to run around, but Kiara was having none of that, either.
"I want down, mommy! There's only boring old stuff around here anyway", she complained loudly.
An old badger who had set up a curious colourful tent on the market square stuck her head out to see what the commotion was about. She heard Kiara's words and approached her. The kitten fell silent and gaped.
There wasn't a single place in her face that wasn't filled with wrinkles. She looked like she was a thousand years old, and perhaps she was.
"Now, now", the old hag crowed as Kiara peeked back at her shyly, "a market such as this one holds innumerable wonders. Would you like to see one, little kitten?"
Kiara just nodded, blinking at her with her bright green eyes.
"If that is ok with you, of course?", this one was directed at Kiara's mother.
"Oh, sure. Anything that gets her to stop whining!"
*
It was dark in the tent, so it took a moment for Kiara's eyes to adjust. She waited, fidgeting in her mother's arms, while the old hag rummaged through the tent. Finally she said, "Here you are!", and brought forward a small wooden box. It, too, looked like it was a thousand years old.
"It's an old box."
Kiara's disappointment could be heard in her voice.
"Oh, but that is no ordinary box."
The old hag pointed to a little crank that stuck out at the side.
"All you need to do is wind it up a little."
"And then what?", Kiara asked.
She watched as the old hag turned the crank twice, then closed her eyes for a brief moment, and opened the lid of the box.
A song began to play. At this, Kiara's ears came up. The little kitten loved music.
"Wow, it plays music. Can you tell it what to play?"
"Yes, you can. This is a Magical Music Box, it will play the song you last thought of."
"Oh, wow, can I try ...?"
To Kiara's dismay, her mother cut in with,
"Ermm ... I'm sorry, but we can't afford a fancy toy like that."
Really, she just wanted to get her kitten away from the old hag, who obviously had a few loose screws.
"Ah, but this is a gift. Go on, take it, I absolutely insist!"
"Pleeeeeease, mommy?"
And so it happened that Kiara blissfully held a small shabby wooden box in her paws as her mother carried her out of the tent and back home.
*
Kiara simply had to have the music box on the table even during lunch. Her mother humored the little kitten, thinking that this was better than waiting out a tantrum. Kiara had been fond of those recently.
When she carried Kiara to her bed and tucked her in, of course the box had to come along as well.
"Can I play with it a bit before my nap, mommy?"
"Of course. But only for a few minutes, then you have to take your nap."
"Okay, mommy."
When her mother had left the room, Kiara looked at the music box and clumsily turned the crank.
"I want you to play 'Pop goes the Weasel'", she told it.
The kitten had been prepared to pretend that the music box played what she asked for even if it didn't, but when she opened the lid, she got a brief glimpse of all the little parts inside rearranging themselves as the music box actually started to play the song Kiara had asked for.
+++ play the music now +++
At first, the music box played a little shakily, but Kiara didn't mind. And anyway, it got better.
"I should get my flute!", Kiara said, excited.
As soon as she said that, a flute joined the song.
Kiara jumped up to all fours and ran a full circle around the box on her bed, trying to find out where the flute was coming from. There was nothing to be found.
"Cool!"
"How about violins?"
The box complied with that, too. Kiara giggled, then started going through all the instruments she knew.
"Ooh! Drums, now!"
Kiara had to swivel her large ears to the side as the thin air around her bed began reverberating with a smashing fill on an invisible drum kit, it was that loud.
Now she had to scream to make herself heard,
"And ... and ... lots of electric guitars! Like a rock band!"
The music box helpfully took this to mean it should supply a bass and keyboards along with the guitars.
"How about a piano!"
By the time the music box had run through the song a third time, the door to Kiara's room flew open and her mother stormed in.
"What on earth is this racket?!?"
Kiara's mother slammed the lid of the music box closed and the music suddenly stopped. She turned the thing over in her paw, astonished, then placed it on top of a high shelf that she knew Kiara couldn't reach.
*
What Kiara had failed to consider was that several other cubs lived next door to her, and they were all supposed to nap right now. All the neighbours had come running out when the drums had started playing.
And so it came that before her nap, Kiara had to sit in a corner and stare at the wall for ten long minutes.
(Many thanks to
\n\t\t\t\t\tNazzNikoNanuke for the icon)