Starling, the African Mozart

Chapter One

The Cat with the Dali Mustache

Sam, the big guy, woke up feeling dizzy from a strange dream. He walked over to the balcony, his hair sticking up like a lion’s mane. He stared out at the calm waves of Biscayne Bay, gently rolling onto the shore. He scratched his head, making his hair even messier, as he tried to think about the crazy dream he’d just had.

In the dream, he was a cat with a mustache—just like Salvador Dali’s! Sam was licking his paw to try and fix his mustache, trying to keep it looking just like Dali’s. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a spotted Dalmatian jumped over the fence, rushing toward Sam the Cat. “Now that you’re all cleaned up, we need to dry you off!” the dog said. The Dalmatian grabbed Sam and shoved him through the doggy door into the laundry room.

The dog tossed Sam into the dryer and slammed the door shut. Just as the dog was about to turn the dryer on, Sam’s alarm went off, playing Mozart’s Symphony No. 40. “Darada, darada, darada-da, darada!” And with that, Sam shot up in bed, dripping with sweat.

“Phew! Such a crappy dream!” He looked back at the shimmering waves as he caressed his mustache. “How would Dali groom himself if he were a cat? Salvador Kitten.”

His joke didn’t help. Still shaken, Sam stared out at the bay from his balcony. Around him, more and more tall buildings were popping up. His two-story house was one of the oldest left in the area. Soon, even the homes across the way, made from beautiful coral stones, would be torn down to make space for condos.

Sam loved his home—especially the fragrant gardenias that filled the whole neighborhood with their sweet smell. And his bougainvillea, growing up toward the balcony, was like a colorful vine reaching for the sky. “How did I have such a weird dream?” Sam thought to himself. “My life is pretty great.” He sighed and smiled. “I guess when everything is going so well, your brain has to throw in something strange just to keep things interesting.”

He took a deep breath, and then started singing, “Let it go, let it go.” Then, in a silly New Yorker accent, he added, “Fer-get-about it.”

It was a windy October day when Brittany came to visit Zinat. Today, she was supposed to bathe Zinat and dress her up before her daughter came to visit. As Brittany approached the room, she heard Starling wailing. Brittany’s first thought was: “Now, what has that pesty bird done?” Brittany took out her keys, unlocked the door, and entered.

The Requiem of Mozart was playing on the record player, and tiny, frail Zinat lay completely still in her bed, pale as her blanket. She knew Zinat had finally left this world with that Requiem. She wiped her tears and dialed an ambulance. A strange noise was coming from Starling’s cage, a noise Brittany had never heard of a bird crying.

Brittany wiped her with teary eyes. Zinat was a dear old friend in the nursing home. Brittany ran toward the window to get fresh air but looked toward the cage. Zinat must have left Starling’s cage open because suddenly, the bird burst through the cage door and fluttered onto Zinat’s chest. Starling bowed her head down to rest on her dear friend’s heart for a moment.

Then, as Brittany walked toward the record player to turn off Mozart’s music, Starling summoned her strength, gave one last sad tweet, and flew straight past Brittany and out of the window. Brittany put the phone down in shock. She raced to the window to grab Starling, but it had flown into the grey clouds, and now she was just a speck in the sky. Mozart’s Requiem was still playing.

The book of Starling, the African Mozart, is filled with the exciting adventures of the African Parrot and Sam, who had almost shipwrecked near Key Largo, Florida.

It was a windy October day when Brittany came to visit Zinat. Today, she was supposed to bathe Zinat and dress her up before her daughter came to visit. As Brittany approached the room, she heard Starling wailing. Brittany’s first thought was: “Now, what has that pesty bird done?” Brittany took out her keys, unlocked the door, and entered.

The Requiem of Mozart was playing on the record player, and tiny, frail Zinat lay completely still in her bed, pale as her blanket. She knew Zinat had finally left this world with that Requiem.  She wiped her tears and dialed an ambulance.  A strange noise was coming from Starling’s cage, a noise Brittany had never heard of a bird crying.

Brittany wiped her with teary eyes. Zinat was a dear old friend in the nursing home. Brittany ran toward the window to get fresh air but looked toward the cage. Zinat must have left Starling’s cage open because suddenly, the bird burst through the cage door and fluttered onto Zinat’s chest. Starling bowed her head down to rest on her dear friend’s heart for a moment. Then, as Brittany walked toward the record player to turn off Mozart’s music, Starling summoned her strength, gave one last sad tweet, and flew straight past Brittany and out of the window. Brittany put the phone down in shock. She raced to the window to grab Starling, but it had flown into the grey clouds, and now she was just a speck in the sky. Mozart’s Requiem was still playing.

The book of Starling, the African Mozart, is filled with the exciting adventures of the African Parrot and Sam, who had almost shipwrecked near Key Largo, Florida.

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This is a few pages from “Humpty Dumpty Sat on the Globe: A  Geotales From Around the Globe.  Order a copy for 5-6 graders to help them with the geography of the world.

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