The next day after piano practice, Little Bear went outside to check on his garden. He got down on his paws and knees, and put his nose close to the ground, looking for the tiny new leaves he expected to find. But, he didn’t see anything because his Impatiens hadn’t sprouted yet! After practicing the next day, he checked again, and again the next day, and again the next. Little Bear thought this was taking a very long time.
After about a week, the tiny leaves finally poked up through the ground. Little Bear was excited, but then became impatient and started growling at the leaves to hurry up and grow!
Little Bear was impatient with his piano progress as well. When two whole weeks had passed, the flowers still weren’t fully grown, and Little Bear still hadn’t learned how to play everything on his piano. He went to his mother and cried, “This is taking too long. I know it will take time to learn how to play, but how long is that going to be?”
Mamma Littlebud put down the book she was reading, and smiled at Little Bear. She said, “My, Albeart, you are in such a hurry! I think you need to talk with your Grandfather. He can help you understand how long time is and why it’s important to be patient with yourself.” Grandpa Bear was a master clockmaker and had a workshop in his house.
Little Bear loved going to his Grandfather’s house and seeing all the beautiful clocks he was building. There were tiny clocks that fit inside of watches, and great big clocks that he could almost crawl inside (although Grandpa said this would be a very bad idea). Grandpa had cuckoo clocks too, with little birds that flew out and whistled each hour, and clocks with tiny, toy bears that waltzed out and danced to a pretty tune.
Little Bear wandered through Grandpa’s workshop and found him repairing a cuckoo clock. Little Bear said, “Hi, Grandpa. I’ve started taking piano lessons, but it’s taking a very, very long time. I’ve been playing for two whole weeks, and I still don’t know everything! Since you know all about time, I want you to tell me how much longer it will take!” cried Little Bear, with his paws on his hips.
“Slow down there, Little Bear,” replied Grandpa, looking up from his work. He was surprised to see Albeart standing there with such an impatient expression on his face. “You don’t have to worry that it’s taking some time. We all need time to learn and grow. Time can even help you learn to play the piano if you use it wisely.”
“But, I don’t understand, Grandpa,” said Little Bear, shaking his head and covering his eyes with his paws. “Time takes so long, so how could it help me learn to play? How long did it take Grandma to learn?”
“Well, Little Bear, did you know that Grandma started playing piano when she was just your age?” said Grandpa. “She learned a lot when she was growing up, but she is still learning new things even now. Look at this old photograph of Grandma with her piano teacher.”
Little Bear looked down at the photo on Grandpa’s desk and exclaimed, “What! Grandma’s piano teacher wasn’t a bear like us? You mean people can play piano too!?” said Little Bear, astounded.
“Yes, sure, people can play piano, and she was a wonderful piano teacher! Her name was Mrs. Marktime. She taught Grandma how to follow a steady beat and keep time in her head.”
“I have to learn to be a clock?” asked Little Bear, looking even more worried. “How do I do that?” He put his arms out and pretended to be a clock showing the time.
“Not like that, Little Bear,” laughed Grandpa. “That’s not what I mean. A clock is a machine. It can keep time, but it can’t grow or learn new things, or think creatively. Look at this big clock I’m building for the town hall. It looks complicated, but it’s really pretty simple. It can only do one thing – keep the time with a steady tic-toc, tic-toc, tic-toc. That’s all. It can’t change, or grow, or have new ideas, or play soccer with its friends.”
Little Bear still looked confused, so Grandpa continued to explain…
“Time is important because it helps us pace ourselves. It lets us keep track of how fast we should play a song, or how long to practice every day. But, there is no such thing as how long it takes to learn everything. Instead, you learn something new every day, Little Bear. You know more today than you did yesterday, and you will learn more tomorrow than you know today. Some piano skills will take only a few minutes to learn, while others will take you much longer. But just like your mother doesn’t measure your growth after every meal, you shouldn’t try to measure your piano progress every day!”
“I’ve grown four whole inches in the past year,” said Little Bear, proudly. “But you’re right; I don’t try to measure my height every time I eat. That would be silly!” he laughed.
“Sure, Little Bear, you are a wonderful creation. Your growth isn’t measured by minutes or hours, but by seasons and years,” said Grandpa. “Each day you will grow, and change, and laugh, and play, and learn something new. That’s why for bears, and people, every day can be a brand new adventure!”
“Your piano skills are like the strawberries we planted in the garden from tiny seeds last Spring. It took all Summer, and we had to tend them, but now they are full of blossoms and give us lots of yummy fruit! Your musical talent will grow the same way. By the end of the year you will also have a harvest of beautiful music!”
“I think I understand, Grandpa,” said Little Bear. “I’m not like a clock you’ve finished building. I’m still growing. I guess I just have to be patient. I do know how to play things on the piano that I didn’t know how to play last week. While it seems to be taking a long time, I just have to keep working on it every day. I guess that must be how you learned to build such beautiful clocks, Grandpa?”
Grandpa reached out to give Little Bear a great big bear hug and said “That’s exactly right, Little Bear! Now you have the idea! Grandma Melody and I are looking forward to hearing you play at your first piano recital at the end of the year. That’s an important measure of time, and you will know lots of piano skills and songs by then.”
“Thanks, Grandpa,” said Little Bear, smiling. “I’m going home to practice my piano lesson now. I bet I learn five new songs before my new flowers blossom! Bye, see you beary soon!” waved Little Bear. Grandpa waved back, “Goodbye, Little Bear. Keep working in your musical garden!”
