Satchmo's Blues - Rilegato

Alan Schroeder, a lifelong admirer of Louis Armstrong, is the award-winning author of several picture books, including Lily and the Wooden Bowl, Minty, and Carolina Shout. His first book, Ragtime Tumpie, was chosen as an ALA Notable Book, a Booklist Children's Editors' Choice, and a Parents' Choice Award winner. He lives in Alameda, California.

One day, right off Bourbon Street, Louis saw a horn sitting in a pawnshop window.  It was a humdinger, all bright and sassy, just begging to be bought. The cardboard sign said $5.  Louis turned away.  He could never come up with that much money.

"It's not fair!" he thought.  Everyone else had a musical instrument.  Even Santiago, the pie man, had a little horn hanging from his wooden cart.  People came flocking when they heard his familiar toot-toot-ta-toot-toot.

The next time Santiago came "back o' town," Louis ran up and tugged on his sleeve.

"Can I blow that horn, mister?" he asked eagerly.

The pie man handed it to him with a grin.  Louis whipped the horn up to his lips and blew.

Nothing happened.  Just a flat, spitting sound. Ppphhhh...

Everybody laughed, especially Santiago.  Louis tried again.  This time, the noise was even worse.

Santiago reached down and took the horn away.

"I thought you said you could blow it, Louis."

Louis frowned.  "I thought I could."

That made everyone laugh harder.

But Louis didn't give up.  He wanted to turn that awful ppphhh into something wonderful--something so hot and jazzy everyone would come running.

"And I'm gonna do it, too," he said to himself.
Two weeks later, the horn was still in the pawnshop window.  Louis wanted to go inside, but the man behind the counter didn't look any too friendly.  The cardboard sign still said $5.

"That horn is mine," Louis whispered, pressing his nose against the window. "It's gotta be mine!"

Every afternoon, when he got home from school, Louis stood in front of the mirror and practiced his blowing.   He pretended he as Bunk Johnson, raising the roof with his high C's.

"What's that you doin' with your lips?" Mama asked.  "You look like a fish."

"I'm blowin' my horn," Louis told her.

Mama shook her head.  "I don't see any horn."

But Louis could--and it was a beauty.