Singing to Trees
I told my friends about the revised plan. 8 songs were doable, with the nutbush as number 7, I thought about number 8. I wanted to do something silly and fun. And I came up with a great cliche: Halloween in a castle. It was so obvious I don't know how I didn't think of it before. I invited Tina's friends to sing back up for the song and we practised it, they seemed to have fun. With that song picked I chose my costume aswell as Grants and Tims.
We practised all Saturday, and on Sunday, I let everyone have a rest. Mainly for selfish reasons, however, I wanted to study the tree. I got down to the lake shore, and to my surprise, someone was at my tree.
"Luna", I called out to her, "what brings you to this part of the lake."
Luna was lying on her back, staring at the branches of the tree, with no shoes on.
"Oh, hello Eddie" she sat up and looked at me "I was just listening to the leaves".
"Mind if I join you?" I asked, and she nodded.
I laid down beside her, staring at the branches, listening to the rustle of leaves and clatter of branches."Everything okay, Luna?" I asked.
"Everything is fine, but some of my property has gone missing", she said. "It's a silly game,"
"Luna if people are stealing from you, you can tell Flitwick, he's your head of house" I said.
"Oh I'm sure it's just a game there playing with me" Luna said in a cheery voice.
My heart was breaking for Luna. "Hey, want to see something cool?" I asked her.
"Okay," she said cheerily.
I got up and helped her to her feet. " said see but it's more like hear, put you ear up to the tree and listen" I said doing as I told her.
"Oh wow," she exclaimed as she heard the music. "The tree is playing music, or is it Nargles?".
"Actually, it's me or like an echo of me. I sat here with my friends at the end of last year, and I played a song. That song is still in the tree," I explained.
"How?" She asked.
"I have no idea," I said in wonder ", but I know what I must do; it needs more songs. I would go mad if I only had one song."
"Oh that's a good idea" she said with bright eyes.
I pulled out my acoustic guitar, "you know there's nothing wrong with being odd, by the way," I said to her. "It's more interesting that way. You have to look for what you want out of life; it may be something grand like singing on a stage in front of thousands of people or something simple." I said, "Like this song."
•Home Among the Gum Trees by John Williamson•
♫I've been around the world
A couple of times or maybe more
I've seen the sights, I've had delights
On every foreign shore
But when my mates all ask me
The place that I adore
I tell them right away♫
I started to sway from side to side, my shoulders bopping up and down, and I smiled.
♫Give me a home among the gumtrees
With lots of plum trees
A sheep or two, a k-kangaroo
A clothesline out the back
Verandah out the front
And an old rocking chair♫
the tree's branches swayed with the happy tune. And I led Luna around the tree like it was a maypole.
♫You can see me in the kitchen
Cooking up a roast
Or Vegemite on toast
Just you and me, a cup of tea♫
I winked at Luna with a charming smile.
♫And later on, we'll settle down
And go out on the porch
And watch the possums play♫
I noticed birds and little critters that lived in the tree coming out of hiding.
♫Give me a home among the gumtrees
With lots of plum trees
A sheep or two, a k-kangaroo
A clothesline out the back
Verandah out the front
And an old rocking chair♫
Spinning around under the branches as leaves slowly fell around her, Luna was dancing without a care.
♫There's a Safeways up the corner
And a Woolies down the street
And a brand new place they've opened up
Where they regulate the heat
But I'd trade them all tomorrow
For a little bush retreat
Where the kookaburras call♫
I jumped up onto a root and let out my best impression. "Koo-koo-ka-ka-ka-ka!" Luna laughed at my bird noises.
♫Give me a home among the gumtrees
With lots of plum trees
A sheep or two, a k-kangaroo
A clothesline out the back
Verandah out the front
And an old rocking chair♫
"here we go," I said.
♫Some people like their houses
With fences all around
Others live in mansions
And some beneath the ground
But me I like the bush you know
With rabbits running round
And a pumpkin vine out the back♫
"take it away, Luna," I said, inviting her to sing.
♫Give me a home among the gumtrees
With lots of plum trees
A sheep or two, a k-kangaroo
A clothesline out the back
Verandah out the front
And an old rocking chair♫
She sang cheerfully with a smile; I laughed, "Together now."
♫Give me a home among the gumtrees
With lots of plum trees
A sheep or two, a k-kangaroo
A clothesline out the back
Verandah out the front
And an ol-d rock-ing cha-i-r!♫
We giggled and laughed at the song, the leaves rustling, which sounded like applause to my ears. Luna and I Spent the rest of that Sunday singing silly songs to the trees without a care or worry; it was a fun day. I played some other John Williamson songs, Luna, especially Love •Old Man Emu•; she did not like •The Budgie song• however.