Welcome to another Peg Tale. Sorry it took so long, but I went on a small vacation. Vacations are a lot of fun, aren't they? I hope you enjoyed yours, too.

This tale is about summer, a bunch of bugs, and a couple of snakes, Ooooh, snakes...not my favorite critters. But, I think you'll like Sam and Sylvia. Here is:

"SAM SNAKE AND THE BOOGIE BUG BAND"

Sam and Sylvia Snake slithered through the tall grass in the park. They were heading for the bandstand. Every Friday night, all summer, the local band held a concert in the park.

Sam Snake was crazy about music. He liked all kinds of music. Sylvia and Sam never missed a band concert.

On this particular summer night, the band played a rousing concert of marches. Sam and Sylvia listened from the top of their favorite rock behind the bandstand.

When the concert ended, Sam said to Sylvia, "I wish I could play an instrument. I'd like to play in a band".

Sylvia batted her eyes at Sam. "What instrument would you play, Sam? Which one is your favorite?"

Sam thought long and hard. "I think I'd like to play a flute. But, sadly enough, being a snake, I have no hands. How could I play an instrument?"

As they skimmed through the grass on their way home, Sylvia said, "Sam, you could play in a band. You could have the most important part of all. You could be the conductor."

Sam laughed. "Silly Sylvia," he hissed. "A conductor has to use both arms to conduct. That lets me out."

"No, Sam," Sylvia said. "You could hold a baton in your mouth. Snakes are very agile. You can keep time with your head. You could lead a band."

"Who could I find to play in my band?" Sam asked. "You know how most critters feel about snakes."

There was a long silence. Then, Sylvia said, "You're right, Sam. Who would play in a band led by a snake?"

They curled up in the grass and looked at the moon. They were very quiet.

Suddenly Sam said, "Listen, Sylvia! Listen carefully. What do you hear?"

Sylvia strained to hear. "I hear a bunch of crickets, and a bull frog or two from the pond."

"Right!" Sam said. "And, a katy-did. If we could round up enough crickets and grasshoppers, a few bumble bees and some katy-dids, we might be able to put together a band."

"You're too far out." Sylvia laughed. "You'd end up with a weird bug band. I can't imagine how they'd sound."

"You're not listening, Sylvia," Sam replied. "Pretend, while you listen to the bugs, that they are playing together with rhythm, and a conductor. It could be beautiful music."

Sylvia uncoiled and lifted her head up high looking down on Sam. "Okay, maybe you have a good idea, but how would you get all these musical critters together?"

"If we can decide on a place to meet, and set a time, all we have to do is find one bee," Sam said.

"One bee, Sam? What could one bee do?" Sylvia asked.

"You know how busy bees are, buzzing around all over the place. What better way to pass the word around than to ask a bee to buzz the news?" Sam said, proudly.

"Not a bad idea," Sylvia said. "Let's go for it." Sylvia waved her head and wiggled her tail happily.

The next day the bees were told to pass the word that a bug band was being started by Sam and Sylvia Snake. If any musical bug wanted to become a member, they should meet at eight o'clock that evening at the rock behind the bandstand in the park.

Sam and Sylvia were waiting on the rock at eight o'clock for the bugs to arrive. Sam had found a nice, straight stick that he could hold in his mouth to use as a baton to conduct the musicians. Since Sam would have his mouth full of baton while conducting, Sylvia would do all the talking.

Right at eight o'clock, hopping, jumping, clicking and chirping, the crickets, grasshoppers, and katy-dids swarmed through the grass to the rock behind the bandstand.

"Sam, look at this crowd. The bees really buzzed the word," Sylvia exclaimed. "Now what?"

"I'm amazed," Sam said. He looked out over the crowd of bug musicians from his place on the high rock. He picked up the baton with his mouth and tapped on the rock for quiet. Slowly the bugs settled down and looked up at Sam. He put down the baton and said, "Welcome to the Bug Bandstand. We're here tonight to begin a bug band using all of your musical talents. I would like to have all of the crickets on my left in a group, and all of the grasshopper on my right. In the middle, I'd like a group of katy-dids and the other musicians. Sylvia, who sings beautifully, will give you the first note. We'll start with a scale and see how it goes."

Sam picked up his baton. He tapped on the rock and Sylvia began singing the first note. "La..la..la..lah."

The bugs tried over and over to follow Sylvia's scale, but it was a calamity. They didn't start together. They didn't stop together. They all played different notes.

Then the bugs began to holler.

"This is no band!"

"We can't do this!"

"You can't lead us, Sam!"

"I'm quitting!" yelled a loud cricket from the rear.

"I'm not wearing a uniform if this is a marching band!" hollered a big, green grasshopper.

Sam put down his baton and said, "You have to work hard to play in a band. You have to practice. This is only our first meeting. We can do it, but everyone has to listen and try."

"This is too much work. " A katy-did called. "I'm going home."

Most of the crickets, grasshoppers, and katy-dids left. They grumbled and complained as they hopped away. There were four crickets, three grasshoppers and a katy-did left. Sam and Sylvia were very discouraged.

"How many of you that are left would be willing to work hard and practice a lot to have a band?" Sam asked.

"I would," said a big cricket. "I've been hanging out near a garage where some teen age kids have a boogie band. Now, they've got rhythm. You don't have to have a whole lot of musicians to have a boogie band. Just a few is best."

Then, from out of the darkness came a large, green bull frog. He hopped right up to Sam's rock.

"I've been listening to all this so-called music," he croaked. "What you need is a good bass to keep your rhythm beat going." He "Baa-rumphed, baa-rumphed," to show off his deep voice.

"That's it," said the cricket. "We need a bass like a drum. Let's listen to the kids and thier boogie band. You'll know what I'm talking about when you hear them. Follow me."

Hopping, slithering and flying, the snakes, bugs, and bull frog followed the cricket to the garage.

Music was pouring out. The band was playing to a boogie beat. Sam and Sylvia began to twist and sway to the rhythm. Frog "Baa-rumphed," and the crickets and katy-did hopped and played their bug music in time with the band. There, in the cool night, with the moonlight shining on their joy, they learned to boogie. Sylvia "la..la..lahed" and danced with Sam.

"This is the kind of band we want, Sylvia," Sam said, his head bobbing. Tomorrow night we'll meet again and try our luck with a boogie band."

"Yeah, yeah," yelled the rest of the bugs, and bull frog "barr-rumphed" his approval.

From then on, every night, Sam and his Boogie Bug Band, as they called themselves, met to practice. They planned to have the bees announce their first performance to all the bugs. Sylvia had composed a special boogie song to sing.

They were nervous the night of their first performance. They had made great plans for this musical show.

At eight o'clock, in front of a huge audience of bugs, snakes, frogs and toads, Sam took up his baton. The musicians came to attention, looking up at Sam. Frog, in the back, began the boogie beat. The band was spotlighted by a squadron of lightning bugs glowing brightly.

The crowd began clapping and snapping, hopping and bopping to the rhythm of the Boogie Bug Band. For the final tune, Sylvia sang her song:

Summer night, hot and sweet,
Got to dance to the boogie beat.
Moon above, trees a swayin',
Hear that bug band playin'.
Tap your feet, clap your hands,
Dance to the best of the boogie bug bands.
Cool boogie on a hot night.
Go, bugs, go the beat is right.
Boogie, Boogie, Summertime Boogie
Yeah..Yeah..Yeah..Yeah..Yeah..Yeah.

When Sylvia's song was finished, the crowd roared with approval. Sam's Boogie Bug Band was a huge success. They played once a week for the crowd from their rock behind the bandstand, all summer long.

That's the end of another Peg Tale. Remember to listen on a summer night, maybe you will hear the Boogie Bug Band playing. Share a story with a friend...it's a gift! Have a safe, happy summer.

See 'ya...bye,

Peg

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