When Clementina Bird was seven she took up the cello. She became so all consumed by the instrument that a short while later she announced she was going to stop speaking.
“From now on the cello will be my mouthpiece,” she said to us at dinnertime. Even at a young age Clementina had a way with words, so it was rather a shame.
When asked a question she plucked a low string for no and a high string for yes. If she wanted attention she bowed vigorously.
Clementina’s silence lasted six months, until her A string snapped, when she was heard to exclaim in a loud voice, “Oh confound it!”
***
This piece of writing was inspired by the picture prompt provided by Roger Cohen for the Friday Fictioneers writing group run by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. We all attempt to write 100 words (or so) and this week I’m slightly over. And despite loving the picture, I really struggled.
I’d love to receive comments and constructive criticism. Click here to read other people’s stories inspired by this picture or to join in.
This is a great narrative and your voice must have been developed over time…keep it up. Nice one!
Thanks Charles. Clementina does appear in a much longer piece that I’ve submitted for an MA assignment.
You really painted a portrait of this rather precocious little girl Claire! I was itching to wring her neck. Well done.
Some people seem to love her, others hate her. She is rather precocious.
My, i really like this…would never have thought of it in a million years but I can so see a child doing that. Very well done
Thanks, not my usual style, but glad you enjoyed it.
Oh, I love this!!! You should keep Clementina Bird around. She’s a delightful character!
Thanks! She is already in a longer piece – she is quite a character.
Hi Claire,
Creative storytelling. Good premise. I think your last graph needs a little editing. Ron
Took me a while to work out ‘graph’! They’re normally ‘para’s to me. But I couldn’t agree more. It ends too abruptly, but I just couldn’t work out what to do without making it longer. Any suggestions appreciated Ron.
Ha!! You hit just the right note with this. I can just see this happening.
Glad you enjoyed it Janet.
Whoa.. Six months of silence, now that would’ve been something to listen to the cellos for answers,, Great story and I was glad for the parents when the string snapped! 🙂
Love this – and Clementina Bird is a fantastic name! great little story 🙂
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.
Dear Claire,
What a clever tale. I find myself wondering at Clementina’s parents. They were either patient or overly permissive.
Shalom,
Rochelle
I think more likely that they often didn’t notice or thought it was charming. I imagine her parents as quite vague and forgetful. Thanks for reading.
what an odd child… reminds me of me. lol love love love your story 🙂
Hah! Odd children are fun. Glad you enjoyed it.
Wonderful! You really captured the art of living with a pre-teen girl.
They do sometimes live in a world of their own. Thanks for reading and commenting.
cute muted story… Randy
Thanks Randy. Glad you enjoyed it.
what a passion — I wonder how she will be when she falls in love?
She’ll definitely have the upper hand I think – she might be a bit scary!
A cute story about a passionate girl….I’m with Bill on this one except I do not want to know what she will be like when she falls in love…that’s a girl who is going to get her way every time.
Tom
I agree, if she doesn’t get her way, she’ll at least expect it. Thanks for reading and your comments.
Theater of the Absurd… I love it!!!
Thanks Ted, glad you enjoyed it. It was meant to be just a crazy little story.
I love the name ‘Clementina Bird’, the title, and the story. Oh, that’s all of it, isn’t it! Precocious, but somehow appealing as well. 🙂
Thanks Joanna, really pleased you enjoyed it.
I love the idea of someone speaking only through a cello. It sounds like the sort of thing a kid would get in their head. Plus, “confound it” is so quaint. 🙂
Most of them wouldn’t last six month though! Thanks for your comments.
That’s true. That takes some persistence. Most kid ideas last about a day.
I love this story! Very nice. She lost her mouthpiece and found her voice.
Thanks Abraham. Glad you enjoyed it.
very cute. a fun little girl.
picky note: When Clementina Bird was seven she took up the cello. when referring to someone’s age, always use a numeral.
Thanks Rich. I didn’t know that about how to write ages.
What a precocious child – great idea, love it! 🙂
Thanks for reading and commenting
What a lovely reflection of an earlier era of writing, this piece wouldn’t be out of place in something written a century ago. Loved it. 🙂
Thanks Linda. Glad you felt that old fashioned style – that’s what I was going for.
Well written story, 6 months is impressive.
Thanks for your comments. Glad you enjoyed it.
I was going to say something clever about a girl being able to control her tongue, then I lost the thread-“Oh, confound it!”
A fun piece, Claire.
Hah! Glad you enjoyed it.
“Oh confound it!” Yes she did have a way with words. I remember my grandpa saying “confoud it!”
It’s a lovely old fashioned phrase. Thanks for your comments
Dear Claire,
I once declared that I was not going to watch televison for an entire year and lasted almost as long as Clementina. “Oh confound it” is such a perfect exclamation. i really like her character. Some depth in there, I’m thinking.
Aloha,
Doug
That’s pretty good going – presuming you were a child, and you didn’t mean just last year! Thanks for your comments.
Love her or hate her, Clementina jumps out of your story and demands to be taken notice of.