Angela Saunders, and her friend Linda, stopped in front of the little music shop window on their way home from school. As she did every day, Angela stopped to admire the silver and gold flute on display. She had been working all summer and saving every penny she made to buy the flute for her mom. “Isn’t that the most beautiful instrument you’ve ever seen? I’ve saved up more than half of the cost of the flute. It must play the most wonderful music. I’m sure that will make my mom all better.” She said aloud.
Ever since she could remember, Angela had loved the sound of the flute. Her mother used to play in the local symphony and every night she would practice after the family had dinner. Angela would fall asleep to the beautiful sounds of her mother’s flute. But since her mother had gotten sick last year, she was too tired and weak to play the flute any longer. Mother had taught Angela to play, but she was not nearly as good as her mom.
Cindy Burns saw Angela and Linda in front of the window and stopped to see what they were doing. “What’s up girls?” she asked.
“Angela just stopped by to show me the flute that she is saving up for. She’s been working extra hard all summer and after school to save up to buy the flute for her mom so that she will get better and want to play again.” Linda replied.
Cindy was the spoiled little girl in town who got everything she wanted and never gave a thought to anyone’s feelings. When she found out that Angela wanted to buy the flute for her sick mother, she went into the store and as Angela and Linda watched, the store keeper went into the window and took the flute out. Angela, looking very worried, had a very bad feeling. Just as she had expected, Cindy came out of the store carrying the flute in a beautiful brown leather case with golden studs trimming it.
Seeing the girls as she came out of the store and knowing how much it meant to Angela, she spitefully, in her sweetest and self-centered spoiled voice, asked, “Angela, you’re the best flute player in school, do you think you can teach me to play? I just had to have this one, it’s so beautiful.” She bragged.
Trying to hold back tears at having her beloved flute bought out from under her before she could save up all the money, Angela reluctantly agreed to teach Cindy how to play. After all, now that the flute is gone, so was her dream of ever playing that beautiful instrument and buying it for her ailing mother.
That evening when Angela arrived at Cindy’s house for her first lesson, Mrs. Burns greeted her at the door. “Cindy will be down in just a minute.” She said. “I must apologize for my daughter’s actions. I heard what she did and I’m really sorry. I don’t know how she became so wicked. I will make sure that Cindy pays you for the lessons and it will come out of her allowance. She must be taught a lesson. If only her father would stop spoiling her.”
Mrs. Burns went to school with Angela’s mom and always admired how well she played the flute. She would attend every concert of the symphony just to hear her play and was very sorry when Mrs. Saunders took ill and stopped playing. She wished she could help Angela but knew that, like her mother, Angela was very proud and would not accept help without earning it.
Cindy finally came down with the flute and began the lesson with Angela. The first thing Angela did after admiring the flute and carefully shining it up, was to show Cindy how to put it together and set it up. She taught her how to hold the flute properly and the correct way to hold it and blow into the embouchure or lip plate to make the sound. Then they went over the fingers and Cindy tried to play a note.
Try as hard as she could, Cindy couldn’t get a sound out of the flute. She tried for over an hour, but the only sound that came out was her whistling, sputtering, and spitting. She just couldn’t get a sound of any kind of music out of the flute. Cindy was getting more and more upset. Angela spoke calmly, “It isn’t always easy to get it on the first try. It’s sometimes hard to make a sound when you are first learning. Just keep trying, and be patient. It will come.”
Lesson after lesson, Cindy just couldn’t get the flute to toot. She would just get frustrated and upset that she couldn’t make any musical sounds. Angela was always calm and very patient with Cindy and tried to show her again and again, the proper way to blow.
About three weeks later, Angela’s mom was feeling pretty down and didn’t want to be left alone, so Angela called Cindy to cancel their lesson. Mrs. Burns answered the phone and was concerned when she heard that Mrs. Saunders wasn’t feeling well. She told Angela that Cindy would be more than happy to come to her house for the lesson. “Besides,” she said, “I am long overdue for a visit with my old friend. We’ll be there in an hour.”
Angela made her mom comfortable on the couch and she and Mrs. Burns sat talking while the girls continued with the lesson. After a while, Angela noticed the color coming back to her mothers’ face. She seemed to brighten up and the visit with Mrs. Burns seemed to cheer her up a great deal. She didn’t know that Mrs. Burns had been telling her mom the story of the flute.
Cindy was getting more and more frustrated that she couldn’t make a sound. She was so frustrated at this point, she tossed the flute down on the couch. “I give up, you can have this stupid flute. It doesn’t work anyway.”
After seeing the girl’s frustration, Mrs. Saunders asked Angela to hand her the flute. She asked Cindy to please sit down.
Mrs. Saunders picked up the flute, and explained to Cindy that she wasn’t learning because it seemed that she didn’t really want to learn. “You must love the instrument and have a passion for it. You must treat it gently, don’t hold it so stiff, as though you are fighting with it. Feel as though you and the flute are one, that it is an extension of your arms. Like this….” Mrs. Saunders went on to explain while showing Cindy the proper way to hold it.
She took a deep breath and began playing a tune. It was the most wonderful sound that they had ever heard. At first it was a very melancholy tune and very soft as Mrs. Saunders’s finger got reacquainted with the keys, but soon the melody became light and happy and sounded like angels wings fluttering. After she had finished playing, Mrs. Saunders handed the flute back to Cindy.
No one made a sound for a couple of minutes. Suddenly, Cindy stood up and began to cry softly. “That was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard in my life. Now I know why Angela was saving up to buy that flute for you Mrs. Saunders,” she softly sobbed. “I was so mean to Angela. I bought the flute just to make her jealous. I didn’t realize how much it meant to her, but after hearing you play and seeing what that flute did for you, I realize what a jerk I had been.”
She turned to Angela and handed her the flute. “I know that I’ve been really mean to you and I bought the flute, knowing how much it meant to you because I was jealous that you had a talent that I didn’t and wanted to learn to play because I thought I could be better than you. The flute is yours. You have been so kind to me and patient and I just treated you so badly. Can you ever forgive me?”
Angela gave Cindy a hug. “Of course, I can forgive you. You have been a great student and this flute lesson is one that we will both remember for a long time. Thank you, Cindy, for the flute. But I can’t just take it. I’ll have to give you the money I saved up to pay for it.”
Mrs. Burns, with tears of joy in her eyes, interrupted and said, “There is no need for you to give Cindy any money for the flute. It is clear that you have earned it and you are the one who deserves it. Cindy has just had the most important flute lesson of her life. One that will last her for a long time. Thank you, Angela, for what you have taught us all.”
“I don’t know what to say, except thank you.” Angela’s happiness showed on her face as she replied: “If you won’t take the money, you can at least allow me to continue with the lessons.”