Escape From Shangri-La: Part 6

By MICHAEL MORPURGO, Illustrator IAN ANDREW

I loved playing my violin too, but I had always hated practising, and in particular I hated being told to practise. Once I could forget that I was practising, once I could lose myself in the music, then I could play quite happily for hours on end and not even notice the passing of time. I was just beginning to enjoy it, just beginning to feel at one with my violin. I was playing Handel's Largo so well I could feel my skin pricking with pleasure all down my arms. But then the doorbell rang. The magic was broken. I was immediately back to hateful practising. The bell rang again. Any excuse to avoid practising was good enough. I put the violin down on my bed, and my bow too, and went to the top of the stairs to see who it was. I heard the front door opening. There was a shadow down in the hallway, and my mother was standing beside it, motionless.

'Who is it?' I said, as I came down the stairs.

Publisher: Mammoth

Price: $14.95

Age group: 10 plus years