The Piper

This is the story of a boy, who was not like other boys. This boy had a dream. He wanted to make people smile.  Unfortunately, the world this boy lived in was a dark one and he saw people around him, bogged down with the weight of their troubles. This boy saw their pain, he saw people grow sadder and sadder and he saw people’s backs break under the stress of their troubles.

The boy wished that people would put their troubles down.

The boy wished people could see the world as he saw it. For this boy saw a world where the sunshine made the rivers glitter and the rainbows come out after the storms. The boy saw all this and more. He saw animals frolicking and birds chirping above him in the sky.

However, the people in the world remained the same. They remained trapped in a vicious cycle of worry, and they kept carrying trouble with them wherever they went.

That’s when the boy found a flute. He learnt to play it by watching lessons on YouTube. (Yes, ridiculous as it sounds, the boy lived in the age of the Internet and that is where the story is set). He started by serenading mice, then he graduated to dogs. He made them dance to his tune and they thanked him for filling their lives with music.

Then, finally after he had practiced for years, the young man (he was no longer a boy you see) walked on stage. He saw the same people before him. He saw that some of them had grown older, and that some were bent even more under the weight of their burdens.

The young man played.

He played for hours. His music was his own composition. The tunes wafted out, like fragrance from flowers and reached the ears of the people, who were bent. Slowly, these people started to listen to the music. The music spoke to them, showing them the world as the boy saw it. The music showed them the birds, showed them the glittering fields of gold and the beautiful rainbows.

The people put their hands up, and the people danced. They put away their troubles. They smiled and embraced each other.

The piper played on into a new dawn. The people danced to his tune. Then they started to make music for themselves. Remember the young man, for he resides in your mp3 players and your SoundCloud profiles. Remember that without music, this world would be a lot less beautiful.

And most importantly, remember that your troubles are temporary and they can be put down.

The Bilge Master