The Humming Feather

Chapter 1: The Feather's Hum

Late afternoon on the canal. The water slaps soft against the bank. ⟨Character 1⟩ walks the towpath in her red boots with a jam jar under one arm.

⟨Character 1⟩: This jar is nearly full and that's a fact. Three pigeon feathers, one that might be a swan’s, and a downy little bit I found on the bridge steps. But the big ones keep blowing away from me. When I'm tall I'll have a hat, and the hat will have them all on it, and everyone will say, oh, here comes the feather lady.

⟨Character 1⟩: Wait. Something's humming out here and it's not a bee. I know what bees sound like, they go right by your ear. This is softer. Like somebody humming a tune with their mouth shut. Grandma hums like... no. I don't know who hums like that. It's coming from over there by the grass.

By the grass at the water's edge lies the biggest feather Tilly has ever seen. Blue as a kingfisher's back, with a little curl at the tip. It hums. Blue and warm and low, like a kettle a long way off.

⟨Character 1⟩: Oh, you beauty! You're enormous. You're the biggest feather in the whole wide county and I've got a jar with your name on it. Hold still now. Hold still. I'm just going to put you in the jar and we'll go home and have tea and I'll tell you my name. Here I come. Ready? Here comes the hand.

Her hand closes on empty air. The feather lifts, drifts over the water, and settles again, humming.

⟨Character 1⟩: No, you don't! I said hold still! Come back here, feather! I'm six, and I can walk, and my boots are fast, so you might as well give up now! Where are you off to? Eh? Off down the canal? My boat's down there, too, you know. You can't get away from me on a canal. I'll just follow you.

Ewan: Hallo there, small captain. Slow down. You'll have the fish jumping out of fright, all that shouting. What's the big feathery business this afternoon? Now, this here bobber's been doing its little jig. My guess is your feather down there is doing the calling, and the fish are lining up to hear the news.

⟨Character 1⟩: She's not calling fish, Ewan. Listen close. She hums. She's magic, and I'm following her, and she's already a good bit in front of us. So I have to go now. But look, Ewan, her letters. She's got a big blue F on her side. I'm going to find her house.

Ewan: Well now, there's nobody else on this canal who'd tell it like that. Go on then, ⟨Character 1⟩. Follow your feather. Mind the wet patch by the bridge.

The sky turns orange. All at once the towpath ends at a wall of tall green reeds. They sigh as the water moves, and beyond them the canal seems full of quiet shapes.

⟨Character 1⟩: So where have you gone? Um. Hum. Loud. Something's humming in there, in the green. It's getting dark in there, isn't it. All right. Fine. I'm brave. I'm brave, I'm six, and I've got red boots. Red boots go everywhere.

Chapter 2: The Singing Reeds

Dusk at the reed bed. The green stalks stand taller than Tilly, and the water underneath goes shh, shh, shh.

⟨Character 1⟩: Right. I'm brave. I'm brave, I'm six, and red boots go everywhere.

She lifts one red boot and steps in. The stalks close behind her. The light turns green and soft. Out of the mud and deep down in the stems comes the humming, low and warm, all around her boots.

⟨Character 1⟩: It's in the reeds. The whole place is humming. And it's her tune. That's the same tune as the blue feather, note for note. Look at this big one, right in the middle. This one's the hummiest of all. Hello. I followed your feather all along the canal. I followed her right to here. So long as I keep following her, I'm fine. Did you send her to me? Just hum once for yes.

The tall reed dips its head, and the lower notes come out of it, slow and steady. Once.

⟨Character 1⟩: One hum. So you did send her. She's a present. A feather present from the reeds, because I'm the one who walks the towpath every day and picks up what gets lost. Well, then. Here's my present to you. One little reed, for my jar. There. Thank you, reeds.

The humming goes softer and softer, like a lullaby running out of juice. Tilly walks back along the towpath, the blue feather tucked in her jar, the little reed beside it. The stars come out over the water.

⟨Character 1⟩: Goodnight, canal. Goodnight, Ewan, wherever you and your bobber are. Goodnight, stars. Goodnight, reeds. I found you, and I followed you, and now I'm going home.

The ⟨home⟩ rocks as she climbs aboard. Her bunk is warm. The jar sits on the shelf, feather and reed together.

⟨Character 1⟩: Goodnight, feather. Goodnight, reed.

The canal slaps soft against the hull, and the boat drifts quiet.