The Pebble That Started Applause — Every afternoon, Quincy slipped away from the tour group and tapped his plain gray pebble three times on the warm rock by the jungle pool. Tap, tap, tap. Read the full story →
Every afternoon, Quincy slipped away from the tour group and tapped his plain gray pebble three times on the warm rock by the jungle pool. Tap, tap, tap. The waterfall answered with a thundery hush, and Quincy grinned so hard his cheeks hurt. He had found the pebble on the first day of vacation, exactly where the mist smelled like wet leaves and pineapple, and he was sure it was only for him.
Until one day, the pebble bounced from his hand, pinged off a root, and landed beside a toucan’s toes. The toucan blinked, snatched it up, and knocked it on the branch. Tok, tok, TOK! Because of that, the echoes hopped across the pool. Because of THAT, two swimmers clapped back, the palms rattled, and even a faraway bird screeched like a squeaky trumpet. Quincy laughed. “Again!”
At last, he held up both hands and led the whole waterfall band: pebble, bird, swimmers, leaves, splash. If you visit the pool in your mind, count three taps near the toucan’s branch, because Quincy’s joy still starts tap, tap, tap.
