Camille pushed open the tall wooden door. He stepped into a quiet room, and there — in the corner — sat a grand piano.
He lifted the lid and pressed one key. A deep note hummed through the floorboards. He pressed another, then another, and a little smile spread across his face.
Camille sat on the bench and tried to play a song. His fingers stumbled over the keys. He played again, slower, and finally one clear note rang out like a bell.
He played the same phrase again and again — a bouncing melody that made the piano feel like it was laughing. The little brown cat jumped onto the piano bench beside him.
Each time he played, something new joined in. A flower on the windowsill seemed to nod, and even the grandfather clock ticked along to the rhythm.
Weeks passed, and Camille practiced every day. His fingers grew sure, and the bouncing melody came easy.
Then came the day of the concert. Camille stood on a tall stage in a grand hall, his hands hovering above the keys. The audience was perfectly quiet.
He took a deep breath and began to play his bouncing melody. The music filled the great hall, and the crowd leaned forward, listening.
When he lifted his hands, the crowd erupted into loud, joyful applause. Camille bowed as the cheers rolled through the hall.
He looked at the piano one more time, then at the smiling faces in the crowd. The melody still seemed to hover in the warm air around him.