A trumpet blast popped across the town square. The parade was starting.
Dalle rolled toward the parade line. Click-click went Dalle's metal feet. Oom-pah went the band.
The drum cart hit a bump. A shiny drumstick flew into the crowd. Dalle froze behind a striped banner. "Not my sounds," whispered Dalle. "Not today."
When the drummers scrambled on, Dalle spotted the lost drumstick by the lemonade stand.
Dalle scooped it up and slipped it back onto the drum cart. Then Dalle ducked behind a flower barrel before anyone turned around.
Dalle's gears gave a soft whirr. Sweet lemon smell floated by. One drummer blinked and said, "Huh? It came back!"
Soon a dancer's ribbon snagged on a wheel. Dalle rolled after it.
With careful robot fingers, Dalle untwisted the ribbon.
Then Dalle nudged a wobbly giant parade hat just before it could plop into a puddle. SPLASH! Only one feather got wet.
Dalle almost let out a happy beep. But clank! One arm bumped a lamppost, and Dalle hid again.
A gust spun confetti everywhere. A tuba barked, "BWAAAH!" The whole parade stumbled out of step.
Dalle zipped into the open square and tapped a metal knee. Clank-clank. Whirr-click. Clank-clank-click.
Everyone went still for one beat. Dalle wanted to roll backward.
Then the sound bounced off the shop windows. The drummers grinned. The tuba answered, "BWAAH-BWAAH!"
Dalle lifted both arms and kept the beat. Shoes stomped. Ribbons swished. The whole parade locked in behind the robot rhythm.
Now Dalle marched in the very middle. Drummers drummed. Dancers twirled. Even the giant hat bobbed along without falling.
The square rang with music. Wheels rumbled over the cobbles. People laughed and clapped as Dalle swung in time where everyone could see.
When the parade turned toward home, the crowd followed the bright new beat all the way down the street.
