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[Page 25]
THE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC BOX
Published in "Aussie" 1920
No words were spoken, for the little box was not a phonograph; it was simply one of those old-fashioned music boxes with its rough pimpled cylinder. When the box was wound up, and the lever released, the pimples on the revolving cylinder struck the music reeds and made tunes. Someone had bought it back to the dugout on his return from a foraging expedition among the shattered French cottages.
"Be it ever so humble, there no place like home." We hummed to it. Then we broke into real singing for the next lever :
"Oh, you take the high road".
Crash! Whoof! Whoo-oof!
The third lever had been moved, and we were now quite enthusiastic over the new toy, and beefed out "By Killarneys Lakes and Dells". Crash! again and again, and "Whoof! and Whoo-oof!" The choir stopped suddenly as the dugout began to quake severely and fall in under the bursts of the delayed-action five-nines. The candles stuck on bayonets jabbed into the walls went out , and clods tumbled down on the crowd. No wonder the chorus stopped.
"Whoof! Whoo-oof! " "Theres another direct!" "And a couple more!" "He's right on us!"
"Don't light the candles again! And all smokes out!" Ordered the officer. "These are gas shells, and the gas doors are down".
The crashing and whoofing had not affected the little music box. After it finished Killarney, someone wound it up again and it tinkled: "Allons, enfants de la Patrie!", for the French airs were now on. No one was allowed to sing, for it was necessary to conserve every particle of oxygen; everyone remained as still as possible.
"Marchons! Marchons! "Crash! , Whoof! Whoo-oof! "nos sillons". Someone was on the phone. "Marchons!" tinkled the little box. "Yes sir he's right on top of us - Whoof! - with gas shells and H.E. None in here, but it is heavy outside! Oh, that's our orchestra! I'll hold it near the phone and press the handpiece! How's that?" "Abreuve nos sillons," tinkled out the boxlet. "Just finished the Marseillaise, Sir; the next is another French air, and then there are three German; it's labeled "INTERNATIONAL MUSIC BOX" in the three languages.