On Friday evening, April 13 we ended the One Book One Billerica program with a Celebrate Boston Dinner in honor of the story Trumpet of the Swan.   As you know, Louis the trumpeter swan spent some time in Boston working at the swan boats.  He even stayed over in the famous Ritz Hotel! Seventy-two lucky participants enjoyed hot dogs, tator tots, homemade brown bread, salad and chocolate chip cookies after making a swan craft, completing a word search and answering trivia questions about the story.   We would like to thank all the families who read the book and participated in the related programs.   Five hundred copies of the book are floating around the community being enjoyed by many!

Louis and Serena returned to the lake that he grew up in .  Serena nested on a muskrat lodge.  Throughout the years they nested, had their young and travelled back to many areas.  Louis’s dad returned to Red Rock Lake after being shot by the music owner and recovering in a hospital.  Years pass and Sam is now 20.  He and his Dad still camp and some nights hear Louis playing his trumpet for his children.

Of course Louis sent the telegram to his friend Sam and Sam flew to Philadelphia to help secure Serena’s freedom.  They finally worked out a deal to let Serena stay free, however, Louis promised to give an egg from Serena’s nest to the zoo when she laid them.   Louis and Serena left the zoo and flew back to Red Rock Lake where they were welcomed by Louis’s family.  Louis wrote an apology to the music store owner on a slate and his father took it and the money and flew back to the store where he had stolen the trumpet.  What did Louis and Serena do?

The zookeepers tried to clip Serena’s feathers so she wouldn’t be able to fly but Louis saw this happening and saved her.  He went to the headman at the zoo to plead for Serena’s freedom.  They argued and the headman only agreed to wait a while and to let Louis send a telegram.  Who did he send it to and what did it say?

The swan is Serena and Louis can’t believe his luck.  He waits until she is rested before he approaches her and plays his trumpet in the night sky.  Serena is finally attracted to him and finally Louis’s dream of love has come true.  Little did they know that the zookeepers had a plan they were working on.  Would it interfere with Louis’s plan for Serena?

The job Louis takes in Philadelphia is working in a nightclub playing the trumpet.  Louis will get paid $500 a week which will help him pay off the music store.  He lives at the zoo and travels to the nightclub each night in a cab.  At the zoo the birds all have tthe tip of a wing clipped to prevent them from flying away but Louis is promised that the zoo keepers won’t do that to him.   One windy night at the zoo a flying white object is pulled from the sky and lands in the lake.  It is a trumpeter swan,   could it be the love of Louis’s life, Serena?

Louis planned to stay at the lake his first night in Boston, however, the boatman suggested he stay at the Ritz where he would have privacy and protection.  At first the clerk doesn’t want a swan in a fancy hotel but then Louis plays the trumpet and signs an autograph and the clerk decides to allow him in.   Louis is happy and spends the night in the bathtub.   He continues his job in Boston but receives a telegram from Philadelphia offering him a job.  Where would he be working in Philadephia and will Louis accept the job?

Louis arrives in Boston and locates the swanboats.  He likes the look of the park and sees a fancy hotel across the street. Louis approaches the boatman and writes on his slate “Have trumpet Need work”.  The boatman suggests he ride in front of the swanboat and play the trumpet.  Do you think the visitors to the park will enjoy Louis’ music?  They do, and Louis is hired!  Where should he spend the night, maybe at the fancy hotel called The Ritz?

Louis hopes his next job will be in Boston at the swanboats.  Sam cut the webs on the foot Louis played the trumpet with to enable him to press the three valves on his trumpet. When his flight feathers grow in he flies to Boston.  Will he get the job at the swanboats?

Soon the summer and camp was over.  Louis realized he needed another job so he could pay back the music store owner so he went to speak with his friend Sam.  Sam had a suggestion which Louis thought was great!  Louis was still growing his flight feathers so he stayed behind at camp after everyone left.  Before Sam left he performed “foot surgery” on Louis!  Read to find out why!