Goose had promised a concert at six. At five, Bear arrived with a drum as wide as a bathtub. Raccoon brought seventeen little bells. Goose brought a tune and a very important hat. “Shall we begin?”“With a tremendous BOOM!” “With a beautiful jingly solo!” Bear boomed. Raccoon jingled. Goose opened her beak, but nobody could hear her tune. She waved faster. They played faster. Her important hat slid over her eyes. “We seem to be giving three concerts.”Goose pushed up her hat. “Help me try something. Pat your knees twice, then hold up a hand. Pat, pat, STOP!” On STOP, Goose closed her wing. Bear lifted his drumstick. Raccoon caught every bell against his tummy. For the first time, there was a space. “My tummy is jingling.”“Bear, save your biggest boom for my fourth wave. Will you count with me? One, two, three—” “BOOM!” Three flowerpots hopped along the windowsill. Bear beamed. Then he lifted his drumstick and waited. “I can do a very large wait.”“But where does my beautiful solo go?” “Right after the boom. While Bear is doing his large wait.” Raccoon shook one bell, then two, then all seventeen in a glittery waterfall. Bear waited so hard that his nose wrinkled. Goose slipped her tune into the quiet afterward.At six, the square filled with hats. Goose raised her wing. “You know our signal. Pat, pat, STOP!” The orchestra stopped. Goose gave four broad waves. Bear boomed. Raccoon jingled. Goose sang her tune, clear over the rooftops. This time, every sound had somewhere to go.“Now for our ending. On my biggest wave, call NOW! Ready?” Goose pointed to you. Then she threw both wings wide. BOOM! JINGLE! HOOOOONK! Every hat in the front row jumped. Raccoon caught Goose’s hat on his bell rack. Bear’s drumstick stood straight up in surprise.The audience clapped. Bear bowed. Raccoon bowed. Goose bowed without her hat. “Again?” “Certainly. Once everybody has caught their hats.” She reached for hers. One tiny bell underneath it went ting.
