Article April 29, 1944 Issue

A Lesson in Humility

[Of Special Interest to Children]

LOIS GARLAND DAVIES

A Small boy was having his piano lesson. He had finished playing the scales and exercises and was about to play a real composition. The teacher asked, "And now, Peter, how did you get along with this piece?"

Peter's mother, waiting in the same room, was disturbed by his overconfident, almost boastful reply. "Nothing to it," he said.

It was true that he had played the composition satisfactorily at home that day, but now something in his attitude was wrong, as was clearly evidenced in the performance which followed. Almost from the beginning he struck wrong notes. The music teacher found it necessary to stop him every few measures to correct some mistake in fingering, rhythm, or reading. Poor Peter! He looked across the room to his mother in great surprise. "What is wrong? Why can't I play this? I knew it once—" such were the thoughts which his puzzled expression indicated.

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