Once upon a time, a rich and powerful earl was surrounded by opulence and his every wish was granted. But he finds himself bored and unhappy, until a band of traveling animal musicians enters his domain. The earl finally laughs as “an owl played the oboe and a hare played percussion. A sheep blew a sax with a lot of persuasion; a hound was on horn, of all wonderful things, and a cat, yes a cat, that majored on strings, also purred out vocals in the style of swing.” 

The earl enjoys the music so much that he wants to join the band in its travels. But, lacking musical talent, he fails the audition. After a year of dedicated practice on an old violin, the “Squeaking Earl” passes the test and joins the traveling band. Adults will get the pun, while children will benefit from the moral of the story.

About the Author



“Uncle Bob” Heim is a writer and cartoonist. He and his German shepherd, Ms. Lily, live in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. And the moral of this story: “No matter who we are, all must work hard and practice to achieve our goals.”