The Audition

A violinist in the town orchestra played beautifully.

When he played difficult passages,
his eyebrows tightened slightly.

He also wore a small bandage on his little finger.

Two boys hoped to join the orchestra. They watched the violinist very intently.

The first boy practiced frowning while he played scales. The second wrapped a bandage around his little finger.

Soon both boys began copying the way the violinist stood, turned pages, and lifted his bow.

As the auditions approached,
they paid closer attention to smaller things.

The violinist sometimes coughed before difficult passages. He occasionally adjusted his sleeve.

Once, he scratched his ear before beginning a solo.

The boys copied these things carefully.

On the morning of the audition, the boys walked toward the music hall together.

“One eyebrow was slightly higher,” said the first boy.

“No,” said the second. “The left shoulder was lower.”

Neither saw the lamp post ahead of them.

They walked directly into it.

The orchestra began without them.