‘Out of the Pan…’

There once was a girl who was bored out of her wits. It had been a wonderful holiday season, and she had received many fantastic gifts. However, she now sat in her Grandmother’s kitchen watching the rain patter on her front lawn with nothing to do.

“Nanna,” she asked, “is there anything at all in your house that’s fun?”

Her wizened old Grandmother giggled under her breath and stood up from the kitchen table.

“Follow me, sweet pea,” she said in an inviting tone.

She led the girl up a narrow set of stairs and into an old attic. The air was thick and aged. It held the aroma of memories and an era gone by long before. The old woman hobbled over to a large trunk covered in stickers and languages that the girl had never seen.

“What are you doing, Nanna?”

Her grandmother just smiled and continued to rummage through the old trunk until, at last, she found what she was after.

“Here we are,” she said holding up a slender piece of wood.

The young girl stood in the dark — bewildered.

“This,” the old woman said, holding it up in a shaft of light, “is a pan flute. Not just any instrument, though. This one I found in a far away place, and it has very special powers.” Her grandmother handed her the flute, and sat on the weathered trunk. “Each time you play a note,” she said, “it creates something — magical.”

The girl studied the smooth surface of the instrument with growing curiosity. It was shiny and polished to perfection. It had very old unicorns etched around its cylindrical form.

“Well, then,” her grandmother said heading down the stairs, “I’ll leave you to it. Just be mindful not to forget it, or worse — break it.”

The girl stood there alone in the attic, not sure what to do. After a brief moment, the girl decided that just one note couldn’t hurt. So she pursed her lips, placed the end of the flute in her mouth and blew. A soft, warm note resonated throughout the small attic. As the note resounded, a dense fog materialized, surrounding her. She smiled in amazement, and blew another note. The fog grew thicker until the attic faded away into its milky depths.

“What’s happening?” the girl asked in bewilderment.

As she blew into the enchanted flute once more, a large shimmering palace made of crystal and sparkling gems appeared before her. The girl walked up to its towering twin doors encrusted with rubies and sapphires. There was no visible way in.

“How do you..?” she began, and then it became obvious.

She created a low penetrating note from the magic flute, and the doors wisped open — not making a sound. The white fog dissolved to unveil a glistening floor beneath.

“Where am I?” the girl asked, gazing up into the endless spire of the palace.

The fog drew itself together in front of the girl in a quick cyclone. In a flash of light another little girl appeared. As the showering magical dust settled, the girl saw that newest arrival was someone of great importance. This girl was dressed in a flowing blue gown that twinkled like a thousand stars.

“What is this place?” the girl asked.

“A place far from your home,” the princess said, “but not far from your heart.”

“The more music you create, the more of our world you will be able to discover,” she said.

Thus, the girl spent many a day making new songs, and new friends — but that is another story…

Special thanks to Joan Charles for her illustration. To see more of her work, visit joancharles.com

For more Kids’ Reading Room, visit latimes.com/kids.