The Message That Became a Mess

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ISSUE 05

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A SING-AND-CHECK ADVENTURE

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LITTLE NAUTS

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THE MESSAGE THAT BECAME A MESS

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Ask. Check. Sing it back.

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Sing, tap, shake, point, or take more time.

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The Little Nauts wanted a circle for listening, singing and sending little musical messages.

Jahari

You'll be in our music, too. Sing, tap, shake, or show us with your hands.

Pax

Watch my hands. Tap, tap, quiet, tap. Then your turn.

Jahari

Now four comfortable places, so we can all see our music messages.

Jahman

There's room by the shelf. Keep the walking path clear.

Jahari

Four blue cushions beside the big drum, please. Could you tell Lux and Zion?

Pax

I can do that.

Pax

Blue cushions beside the drum. Can you tell Zion?

Lux

Yes. I'll get one, too.

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A few words stayed behind.

Lux

Cushions by the drum.

Zion

All right. I'll bring two.

Pax

One for me.

Lux

And one for me.

Zion

Two over here. Ready!

Jahari

Our circle has split in half.

Zion

I saved you a place.

Jahari

Thank you. I thought we'd all be beside the big drum.

Pax

We have four cushions. Just... two circles of two.

Jahari

Those were meant to be blue.

Zion

I didn't hear blue. I heard cushions by the drum.

Lux

Wait. Maybe we didn't all get the same message.

Lux

Before we move anything, what did each of us actually say?

Jahari

I said, “Four blue cushions beside the big drum, please.”

Pax

I said, “Blue cushions beside the drum.”

Lux

Then I said, “Cushions by the drum.”

Zion

That's the message I got.

Lux

Help us put the message back together. Sing, say, or point to a missing piece.

Lux

How many? Which ones? Where do they go?

Pax

I left out four. And big.

Lux

I left out blue.

Zion

So I chose the cushions and drum near me.

Jahari

Let's sing the whole message. Then you sing it back.

Jahari

Four blue cushions, beside the big drum.

Lux

Singing helps us remember the pieces. We still need to check what they mean.

Jahari

What if I say it really clearly? Cushions. By. The. Drum.

Pax

This drum?

Zion

Or this drum?

Jahari

Oh. Clearer voice. Still missing pieces.

Jahari

I'll draw it. Then the message can come with us.

Pax

A message with handles?

Jahari

Paper handles.

Jahman

You can use this board to keep the picture steady.

Zion

Which drum is this one?

Jahari

The big one.

Zion

I know that now you've told me. The picture doesn't show me yet.

Zion

Here's the music shelf. The big drum is beside it.

Lux

And this little drum is by our table.

Zion

Now we can match the picture to the room.

Pax

Before I do it, I want to check. Can you sing this with me?

Pax · singing

Let me check.

Pax · singing

Show me again.

Pax

Four blue cushions... on the big drum by the shelf?

Jahari

Let's check that part.

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Pax stopped to check. Which word needs checking: on, or beside?

Jahari

Beside, on the floor. The seats are for us, not for the drum.

Pax

Good thing I asked. It was about to get very comfortable.

Jahari

My drawing made that confusing. Thanks for checking.

Zion

I'll put the cushions here, on the floor in the picture, too.

Pax

Four blue cushions on the floor beside the big drum. This one by the shelf?

Jahari

Yes. That's what I mean. Let's check it in our song, too.

Jahari · singing

Four blue cushions, beside the big drum.

Pax · singing

Beside, on the floor?

Jahari · singing

Yes, that's what I mean.

Lux

We sang it, checked it, and now we can do it.

Jahman

You made room for the question.

Lux

These two blue ones are already in the right place.

Jahari

Two more blue ones in the basket.

Zion

I'll put the red ones back on the bench.

Pax

And I'll help make the circle.

All Four · singing

One, two, three, four.

Lux

All blue.

Zion

Beside the big drum.

Jahari

Four places. Together.

Pax

Does it match what you meant?

Jahari

It does. Thank you, everyone.

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The question hadn't spoiled their plan. It had helped them share it.

Lux

Can you send that message back?

Zion

Two taps, then two quiet counts? May I use my shaker?

Lux

Yes. Same places for the sounds and spaces.

Jahari

Different sound. Same message.

Pax

Listen to two taps and two quiet counts. Then you send it back. Ask for it again if you need it.

Zion

The sounds changed, but we kept two sounds and two spaces.

Lux

That's the part we agreed to keep.

Pax

I used to think sending it back meant copying everything.

Jahari

We checked which part mattered.

Zion

And we left space to ask.

Lux

Now you can make a message for us to try.

Pax

Your message now. Four counts. Choose a sound or a quiet space for each.

Lux

Sing a sound, tap, shake, or point. You can take your time.

Zion

Play it once, leave a space, then send the same pattern again.

Jahari

A sound, a space, a sound, a space.

Zion

Sounds on one and three? Quiet on two and four?

Jahari

Yes.

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With a friend or grown-up, make a little musical message. The listener asks, checks, then plays it back. Swap jobs.

Lux

If you aren't sure, sing “Let me check,” and ask for another go.

Zion

On your own? Draw four places. Mark the sounds and spaces, play them, and use your card to check.

Pax

Change the sound if you like. Keep the places you chose.

Jahman

You can sing, move, or point. Your question is welcome, too.

Pax

I nearly didn't ask about the picture. I thought I'd slow us down.

Jahari

You saved us from putting cushions on a drum.

Lux

We can make room for a question.

Zion

Same as we made room for all four of us.

Pax

One question left.

Jahari

Go on.

Pax

Is the drum comfortable without a cushion?

Lux

It seems very settled.

Jahari

One more song together. We sing a line; you send it back.

Jahari · singing

Let me check.

Pax · singing

Show me again.

Zion · singing

Now we know.

Lux · singing

Here we go.

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Four friends, a circle full of music, and room for “Let me check.”

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SEND A FOUR-COUNT MESSAGE

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Draw four boxes. Choose a sound or a quiet space for each place.

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Play your message once. Leave a little space. Then send the same pattern again.

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Your listener can sing, 'Let me check,' ask to see it again, and play the message back.

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Compare the four places together. Change the sound if you like, but keep the pattern you agreed on.

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Swap jobs. On your own, use your drawing to check your two performances.

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A question can help everyone share the same message.