by Janet Slike –
When Simon the cricket saw the sun start its nightly fall, he knew what to do. He left the cool shade and leapt toward the wheat fields. As he jumped through the village he sang the songs the cooks expected. When Simon sang, the cooks knew it was time to add basil to their chicken stew. The farmers would soon be home for dinner.
“Why do we need clocks? The cricket keeps our time for us,” the villagers all agreed.
As the farmers’ workday was ending, Simon’s was just beginning.
Simon sang the first few notes to the wheat. From far and wide, crickets joined him. They all knew their parts. The crickets sang songs about planting time and harvest time, songs about the cool rain and the hot sun. The crickets sang to remind the wheat of the pureness of bread and the sweetness of cake, hoping to inspire the wheat with visions of what it could become. As the wheat would someday nourish the villagers, the crickets wanted to nourish the wheat.
One day, the villagers gathered around Simon. He worried they had decided to buy clocks. Instead, they said, “You are a great singer. Why don’t you sing for something more than the wheat? Why don’t you sing to the sea?”
At first Simon thought the idea was crazy. He hoped to maybe see the sea someday, but he hadn’t dared to dream bigger than that.
But the other crickets agreed with the villagers.
“You are a great singer. Yes, you must go sing for the sea.”
Singing for the sea was exciting but scary. Simon wasn’t sure he was brave enough.
Simon wasn’t sure he could compose a song worthy enough.
But he knew he had to do it.
“The song will be ready when I get there,” he said.
He said his good-byes.
“We will miss you,” the cooks cried.
“But the sea needs to hear you,” the farmers told him.
Simon’s journey took many, many days. He leapt through towns of small cottages and cities with statues of kings. He jumped through daisy fields. No one in the towns or cities or fields noticed the small, dull brown cricket.
Once or twice he thought, This is ridiculous. I am tired and sore. I should just go home. There’s nothing wrong with singing to the wheat.
But he felt a tingle in his leg as if the song was in there waiting to come out.
Suddenly the air smelled salty. He spied a seagull. I must be close, he thought.
Then he saw the sea. It was huge and scary and loud. He realized the sea had its own song. The sea roar told of slippery sardines, cantankerous crabs, and timid turtles. Though the sea didn’t have wheat, it had a bounty of algae that nourished many sea creatures.
Just then, Simon knew what he wanted to sing about—how each of us has a special talent to share and a special big dream to dream.
Simon sang a song as unique as he was. The roar continued and Simon stomped his leg, annoyed that the sea wasn’t listening. He sang louder. The sea roared louder, then calmed. Some algae washed up on the beach.
“I did it! I sang for the sea and the sea gave me a gift.”
He felt different, and he looked different too. He wasn’t brown anymore. He gleamed golden. He wasn’t small anymore. He doubled in size.
He saw the new Simon reflected in the waters.
I never knew I could look like that, he thought.
He made the long journey home.
While Simon was gone, his friend Norm kept time. Norm’s voice grew stronger because he knew the villagers were counting on him.
“You sound great!” said Simon.
“You look great! How was your journey?” asked Norm.
“Fantastic! Singing for the sea makes you feel so proud. Everyone should try something bigger than they think they can do.”
Norm didn’t hesitate. “I will do it!” he said. “Will you join me?”
Simon didn’t hesitate either. “Of course!”
“Head toward the sea,” they sang out as they left the village.
They jumped through the same cities that Simon had seen before. Everyone noticed the streak of gold that flashed by.
When they arrived, they sang a bold, loud duet.
“You were right,” said Norm “That was amazing.”
They rested on the beach but soon they heard new music. A line of crickets headed their way—all the village crickets, and following them were all the villagers. They stood on the beach and sang songs of their dreams together. Their golden glow lit the earth through the night and merged with the sun’s glow through the day, for when dreamers start making their dreams come true, the world is a brighter place.
the end.
Question Time
1. Why does Simon sing?
2. Why does he go to the sea?
3. Who sings while Simon is gone?
4. What happens when Simon goes back to the sea?
