Disney’s Dream
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Read all about Walt Disney on Wikipedia.

A movie was playing on a screen against the back wall. I immediately recognized Mickey Mouse. He was banging and playing on a cow’s teeth like xylophone keys.

The movie was exactly the same as when we’d seen it in Mr. Caruthers’s class!

We watched for a little while. The movie was super funny. But very quiet.

Walt Disney stood in front of a microphone and announced that the musicians were ready to record the sound.

“Everything seems to be going just fine,” I said to Jacob. “Everyone is working. No one is quitting. So why do you think we’re here?”

Zack sighed and said, “Next time, we could ask Mr. C.”

“Stop moping, Zack. It’s too late to ask him. We’re already here,” Jacob said. Then he told us to stand back against the wall so we’d be out of the way. “In class Mr. C told us that Steamboat Willie is only seven minutes long. Let’s hang out and see what happens.”

Walt Disney pointed at the screen and gave the conductor some last instructions. Then, the film started over at the beginning.

It felt like something magical was about to happen.

Walt Disney had put little balls of light on the film. Each time a little light appeared, the conductor matched up the music to the film. The first few minutes of the recording were perfect.

But in the middle of the film, the balls of light started coming faster and faster. They were too fast. The conductor couldn’t keep up. The musicians lost the pace. The music didn’t match the action.

All of a sudden there was a loud, low blat from a tall, stringed instrument. “Stop! Stop!” the sound guy yelled. “We blew out a tube in the recording machine.”

“Another?” Walt Disney gasped. “That’s the third one today. How many do we have left?”

“We have only one more,” the sound man told Mr. Disney.

Walt Disney looked at the conductor and said very seriously, “Make certain that we get it right this time. A little softer on the bass fiddle, please.”

They started the movie from the beginning again. It was right on. I swear, the music was coming right out of the cow’s tail. Walt Disney performed the sound of Mickey Mouse. His squeak was perfect. It was awesome. I could see how this movie changed animation history.

They were near the end of the recording when Walt Disney tucked his hands up under his arms like a bird. A parrot came on-screen and opened its beak.

Walt Disney opened his mouth at the same time.

“Squawk,” went Walt Disney. “Squawk,” went the parrot.

“Stop the recording!” the sound man shouted over the orchestra. The movie stopped playing. The orchestra stopped. Walt Disney stopped. We froze too.

The man turned to Walt Disney. “Nice squawk, but you blew out the last recording tube.”

Walt Disney ran a hand through his hair. He lowered his eyes and shook his head. Then he sighed loudly.

“I quit.”

I didn’t even think. “You can’t quit!” I shouted.

It took Walt Disney a second to figure out where I was standing. “What do you mean?” he asked with a serious look on his face. “I just quit. And that is final!” He looked around the room at the musicians. “What are you waiting for?” he demanded. “Start packing! I have no more money to pay you, so you might as well go home.”

The musicians started gathering their equipment.

“No!” I blurted out. “Mickey Mouse is going to be huge. The conductor gave me a puzzled look. “Trust me,” I said. “Mickey Mouse will be everywhere! People will have Mickey Mouse T-shirts, watches, and dolls.”

“My grandma gave me Mickey Mouse underwear last year,” Zack tacked on to my list.

“Tell them about the animation,” Bo reminded me in a soft voice.

“Yeah,” Jacob added. “This isn’t all about Mickey Mouse.”

How could I have forgotten the most important part? It was up to me to make sure the Global Cartoon Disaster didn’t happen!

CONTINUED...

Read about Disney's Dream and write the story the way YOU would make it turn out.

Then get the Blast to the Past book and see what happens with Zack, Jacob, and Bo.

You can buy the Blast to the Past book "Disney's Dream" by clicking here!

Read all about Walt Disney on Wikipedia.

Read all the Blast to the Past chapters here!

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