Children's Literature Narration
Description
Read MoreVocal Characteristics
Language
EnglishVoice Age
Young Adult (18-35)Accents
North American (General) North American (US General American - GenAM)Transcript
Note: Transcripts are generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors.
our moon. Bye jane Mulan. Illustrated by john showing her. It was late, one winter night, long past my bedtime when pa and I went out howling. There was no wind. The trees stood still as giant statues and the moon was so bright, the sky seemed to shine somewhere behind us. A train whistle blew long and low like a sad, sad song. I could hear it through the woolen cap pa had pulled down over my ears. A farm dog answered the train, and then a second dog joined in. They sang out trains and dogs for a real long time and when their voices faded away it was as quiet as a dream. We walked on toward the woods, paul and I, our feet crunched over the crisp snow and little gray footprints followed us, pomade a long shadow, but mine was short and round. I had to run after him every now and then to keep up and my short round shadow bumped after me. But I never called out. If you go out calling, you have to be quiet. That's what pa always says. I have been waiting to go out sailing with paul for a long, long time We reached the line of pine trees, black and pointy against the sky. And pa held up his hand. I stopped right where I was and waited. He looked up as if searching the stars as if reading a map up there. The moon made his face into a silver mask. Then he called, mm hmm. The sound of a great horned owl. Mm hmm again. He called out and then again after each call. He was silent and for a moment we both listened, but there was no answer. Paul shrugged and I shrugged. I was not disappointed. My brothers all said. Sometimes there is now and sometimes there isn't. We walked on. I could feel the cold as if someone's icy hand was palm down on my back and my nose and the tops of my cheeks felt cold and hot at the same time. But I never said a word. If you go out sailing, you have to be quiet and make your own heat. We went into the woods, the shadows were the blackest things I had ever seen. They stay in the white snow. My mouth felt furry for the scarf over it was wet and warm. I didn't ask what kinds of things hide behind black trees in the middle of the night. When you go out calling, you have to be brave. Then we came to a clearing in the dark woods. The moon was high above us. It seemed to fit exactly over the center of the clearing and the snow below. It was wider than the milk in a cereal bowl. I sighed and pa held up his hand at the sound. I put my mittens over the scarf over my mouth and listened hard. And then pa called, mm hmm, mm hmm. I listened and looked so hard. My ears hurt and my eyes got cloudy with the cold paul raised his face to call out again. But before he could open his mouth, an echo came threading its way through the trees. Mm hmm.