Hanuman (the Dear!) asked me to go to the nearest book and pick out particular sentences from page 123.
Here is what I retrieved.
It is from “The Phantom Tollbooth”, and if you have not read this amazing book I can not recommend enough. It is a classic.
The last colors slowly faded from the western sky, and, as they did, one by one the instruments stopped, until only the bass fiddles, in their somber slow movement, were left to play the night and a single set of silver bells brightened the constellations. The conductor let his arms fall limply at his sides and stood quite still as darkness claimed the forest.
“That was a very beautiful sunset,” said
Milo, walking to the podium.
“It should be,” was the reply; ‘we’ve been practicing since the world began.”


9 comments
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February 19, 2007 at 2:58 am
Daniel
That’s marvellous, beautiful prose. How have I missed this?
February 19, 2007 at 3:03 am
Spider
It IS an excellent book… one that I need to go back and read again…
February 19, 2007 at 3:38 am
dmmgmfm
I’m looking on Amazon for it right now!
February 19, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Doug
What happens next with Milo and the orchestra is my favorite part of the whole book.
February 19, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Jason
That is a good book. I remember doing the book report in the 4th grade. I’ll have to revisit it. Thanks for the reminder.
February 19, 2007 at 2:21 pm
foxystone
sunsets should always be accompanied by music, whether by an orchestra or in one’s head
February 19, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Greg
You know, I don’t think I read that one. I may have to sto pby the library to pick up a copy….
February 19, 2007 at 5:24 pm
tigeryogi
Leave it to you to pick the perfect book for this meme! Fabulous!
February 19, 2007 at 7:27 pm
BentonQuest
Wow! I had totally forgotten about that book. I need to reread it.