Love or Magic Part 2 (Revised)

The next day, I went back to the meadow and . . . wonders upon wonders . . .when I stroked it, my violin played the Lost Chord again. Once more I became aware of its awesome powers.

With the chord still echoing in my ears, I went over to a rock and there, don't ask me why, I willed myself to rise to its top. As if lifted by a magic carpet, I levitated until I stood proudly on top of the boulder.
Unfortunately as the sound died down, the strange powers also faded and I so I had to laboriously climb down in the way any normal mortal would.

I began to wonder about my grandfather's gift. What was the history of this remarkable instrument that he had given to me. Was it perhaps David's? Was that lost chord that it played perhaps the same as the one that David played long ago?

Recalling the old white haired man's adventures, I began to feel that perhaps that I too should to travel, violin in hand, to distant villages. How else would I find out what surprises and pleasures the violin would have in store for its chosen owner? So I sallied forth on my first adventure.

One evening, I came to what at first seemed like a village to me but I soon discovered that it was the camp of a band of wandering gypsies.
Without a care in the world, I walked into the camp and began greeting everyone happily. Soon, however, I was totally taken aback when some burly unshaven men grabbed me and dragged me before their so-called King. He was a man with a wild appearance. He looked like Attila and even sounded like him when he spoke.

"Haaa. A wandering minstrel, I see. Come on you strolling fool. Give us your money. Come on, all of it."
"Look, I have no money, King. I really don't have anything. I was hoping to earn some for my food and quarters in every village as I passed through them."
"What? Are you telling me that you have no money? You useless tramp. You've come to waste our time here, have you? Oh no you won't you young fool. We'll let you entertain us tonight. You want to play and so you shall. Tonight there will be a competition."

Then he began to laugh evilly.
"You see, we were going to slit your throat but now we'll give you a chance. A fair chance hahaha. You ‘ll compete against one of our best violinists. If you beat him we may let you go free. But if you don't ....." He looked almost satanic as he did this.

I was then taken to a hut where I was locked in. As the hours went by I became thirsty and hungry and so I was overjoyed when, after a faint rustling, I saw a large red apple mysteriously placed on the window sill by an unknown hand. I was most grateful for this but didn't know whom to thank.

After a long while, the door was flung open and I was roughly dragged and pulled towards the dusty square in the middle of the camp. A crowd and, of course, the Gypsy King were waiting for me. When he saw me he stood up and bellowed in a stentorian voice.
"Aha. Here he is. The young fool. Let the competition begin."

The Gypsy maestro played first. Even though I was in an awful predicament I nevertheless felt that I had to give him his full due. He was an amazing virtuoso. I was dismayed by his glissandos falling from a twittering sparrow to the sound of a growling cat. To his playing he added a repertoire of impressive and grandiose flourishes.

When he finally sat down, I saw that all the men and even most women had become somewhat unruly and some were drinking straight from bottles. His music had achieved nothing more than a desire to have a drunken ball. Some women had begun to dance wildly in an open space and I could see how some of their blouses had begun slipping down over their shoulders.

Then, inevitably, my turn came. To my inevitable dismay, the King turned towards me and bowed towards me somewhat mockingly. He me gave a sign that I should step forward and begin to play. It would be my fight for survival. It would have to be the best music that I would ever play.
I stood up and slowly pulled my bow across the strings. Never had a violin played so beautifully. It played the music of the gods. To my unbounded joy I saw that everybody immediately stopped and turned to stand and stare at me. I heard bottles dropping down to the ground. Some women began to push the men close to them away in some apparently new found disgust..
Soon all men, women and even the children were jostling each other in order to get a better view of me. In the corner of my eyes I saw that the Gypsy King had stood up and was looking at me in a strange way. I knew instinctively that he had made up his mind to cut short my playing and have his men to have me taken out.

Then it happened. That was the moment that my violin came to my rescue. It once again played the Magic Chord.
It was magnificent. It was magical. It was then that everyone began to dance looking as if they were in an entranced state. The music was acting like a powerful halucogenic. No one took any notice of me anymore. Well so it seemed at first.

Then I felt someone tugging at my sleeve and as I turned to look I saw the most beautiful girl that I had ever seen . . . but it was her eyes that caught my attention. They were deep dark pools that I could have looked into for hours. Well, I could have but she had other ideas.

"Come with me. At once. They're goinng to kill you when they wake up. There's no time to waste with formal introductions. Come with me. Follow me."
We ran and ran. Whenever we became out of breath we rested for a moment and then began to run again. However, when I could run no more, I held her back by her hand.

"Stop now. We've run far enough. Isn't it time for you to go back before they miss you? "
"Don't you see? I'm not going back. I'm coming with you."
"No you can't do that. You belong to them. If you leave them they'll hunt you down. Why would you come with me any way. You don't even know me."

She gave a sweet smile. A smile that quite perplexed me.
"Ah but I know your violin. I know what your violin wants."
"What are you talking about?
She reached out and took the violin from me and embraced it lovingly. Then she looked at me in a way that I shall never forget. Neither would I ever forget her words.

"You know that on your own you may find love one day. Some kind of love. But if you follow where the violin leads you will find magic."
"So what are you saying? I've a choice between love and magic?"
She looked at me. Her dark eyes burned their way into my heart.
"Yes. What do you think about that?"

As a surge of happiness overcame me, I began to dance around the tree. When I came up to her I whispered in her ear softly.
"I'll tell you. I'll have both. I'll have love and magic."

At that moment, as she looked at me. I knew why that old man had died with such a beautiful smile on his face.