{"id":5722,"date":"2018-12-16T17:16:11","date_gmt":"2018-12-16T23:16:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/?p=5722"},"modified":"2018-12-29T23:39:59","modified_gmt":"2018-12-30T05:39:59","slug":"aloyzas-baronas-and-the-christmas-harmonica-tale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/aloyzas-baronas-and-the-christmas-harmonica-tale\/","title":{"rendered":"Aloyzas Baronas and the Christmas harmonica tale"},"content":{"rendered":"

We received an inquiry at Lithuanian Heritage<\/em> relating to a very short story written by Aloyzas Baronas, about “Kaziuko Armonika.”\u00a0 The reader wanted to know where one could find more stories like this to read to children about the magical goings on during the night before Christmas, where animals are said to be able to talk.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Aloyzas Baronas. (photo credit: V. Ma\u017eelis, Bir\u017e\u0173 kra\u0161to muziejus, vikipedija)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Turns out, that the story is titled “Kal\u0117din\u0117 Armonika,” and it is very sweet.\u00a0 Who was Baronas?\u00a0 He was born in 1917 in Vabalninkai, Lithuania.\u00a0 In 1941-43 he studied at the Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania.\u00a0 He fled during the war to Germany, and then to the U.S. where he got a job as a factory worker.\u00a0 He helped edit the Draugas<\/em> newspaper from 1955 onwards, and was later head of the Lithuanian emigree Writers’ Union.\u00a0 Until his death (in Chicago, 1980), Baronas published a number of novels, novellas, and humorous short stories.\u00a0 Here for your enjoyment is his short tale about the the Christmas harmonica, first in our own unofficial English translation, and then the original Lithuanian version:<\/p>\n

———————————<\/p>\n

A HARMONICA FOR CHRISTMAS<\/h3>\n

Aloyzas Baronas<\/p>\n

Translated by J. Daugirdas<\/p>\n

These events took place back in Lithuania. Kaziukas was small then and was not yet of school age. He would spend his days playing with his younger sister Elenut\u0117. Some time before Christmas, Kaziukas’ Auntie brought him a gift \u2013 a beautiful ball painted with red and green flowers. Auntie warned him, “Kaziuk, you tend to lose your toys. If you manage to not lose this ball that I’m giving you, and don’t puncture or otherwise wreck it, for Christmas I’ll buy you a harmonica. “A real harmonica?” asked Kaziukas. “Yes, indeed,” replied his aunt, “A genuine harmonica, but a smaller one, just your size.”<\/p>\n

Kaziukas promised to be good. He obeyed his parents, avoided teasing his sister Elenut\u0117, did not throw any rocks at the rooster, did not pull the cat by its ears, didn’t ride the family dog Margis like a horse, and in general was on his best behavior, as he really needed this harmonica.<\/p>\n

But then, just before Christmas, Kaziukas noticed that his ball was gone! He had actually grown tired of playing with the ball, and so it was only just before the holidays that he thought about it. He searched under all the beds and in all the nooks and crannies, but the ball was nowhere to be found! Kaziukas was in a panic. What would happen if Auntie found out that the gifted ball was no more? His Christmas harmonica would never be bought!<\/p>\n

Still worrying about his ball, Kaziukas realized that it was Christmas Eve. Everyone was preparing for Christmas, but Kaziukas could focus on only one thought: now he might not be getting his harmonica, if Auntie found out that Kaziukas indeed did not take good care of his presents and toys.<\/p>\n

On the day before Christmas, Auntie, speaking with Mom and Dad said, “Tonight, don’t forget to listen to what our horse will say, for on the night before Christmas all animals gain the gift of speech.” Mother said, “You’re joking, of course \u2013 I’ve never heard our animals talk!” Auntie was unfazed: “You didn’t hear them because you never listened. They do indeed talk.” “Tonight you’ll be able to listen to them,” smiled Father. “Then you’ll know for sure.”<\/p>\n

Everyone laughed, while Kaziukas thought that maybe it would be worthwhile to go to the family dog Margis after nightfall and ask Margis if maybe he saw where his ball was \u2013 Margis runs around all over the place, knows a lot, and has a keen sense of smell.<\/p>\n

But to get out of bed in the deep of the night \u2013 is cold and frightening. Or maybe the cat would talk to him this night? The cat is always lolling about in the kitchen. But who would the cat talk to, as it spends most of its time alone? Although \u2013 perhaps the cat could speak to itself, like Auntie sometimes talks to herself? And is a cat an animal? Kaziukas’ mind was going ’round and ’round on this, and finally, he asked his mother, who was busily working around the stove. “Mom, is our cat an animal?” Mother answered while putting something into the oven, “What are you asking? Of course a cat is an animal. A small one, but an animal, nonetheless.”<\/p>\n

After the Christmas Eve repast, everyone went to sleep except Kaziukas, who listened and listened. He waited until the clock struck the hour 12 times and then silently, he left his bed. The cold air doused him as if it were water, but on tiptoe he reached the kitchen. Next to the stove gleamed the green eyes of the family cat. It appeared that the cat had been awakened by Kaziukas’ steps. Quietly, Kaziukas bent down and whispered directly into the cat’s ear, “Hey, cat, did you see where my ball went?” But the cat was frightened by Kaziukas’ unexpected moves. It jumped up and swatted Kaziukas’ on the cheek with its paw. Kaziukas recoiled, rubbing his face, which now was quite sore. He tapped the cat on its head and, with a stinging nose, went back to bed. Kaziukas couldn’t fall asleep for quite some time. He was thinking: “I doubt that the cat scratched me deeply. Maybe tomorrow there won’t be any mark.”<\/p>\n

In the morning when he arose, Kaziukas found that his parents had already left for church. Kaziukas ran up to a mirror. Indeed, on the right side of his nose there was a red scratch. Kaziukas washed up, and Auntie, when she was serving him and Elenut\u0117 breakfast, noticed his scraped-up face: “Where did you scratch your nose? Now you’ve done it. During the holidays you will be all scratched up!”<\/p>\n

Crying, Kaziukas told a fib: “I picked up the cat this morning to carry it, and it scratched me.”
\n“Don’t cry,” comforted Auntie. Look, even Elenut\u0117 is laughing. By the way, here’s a harmonica for you. I would have given it to you last night, but I thought that you would spend the night playing it. Your nose will heal. Today is the birthday of Jesus Christ, a holiday of peace, so we need to forgive the cat. If people would all be kind, then there would be happiness for all and everywhere, just like during Christmas. And Santa will be bringing a nice doll for Elenut\u0117.”<\/p>\n

Kaziukas had lost his appetite. He tried to play the harmonica, and when Auntie left to go into another room either to sleep or to pray, he played the harmonica loud. Beautiful tones flew from the gleaming little box, and Kaziukas was very happy. Elenut\u0117 also liked his playing and listened with her thumb in her mouth. Margis the dog awoke to the racket and started to whine and claw at the door. Kaziukas let the dog outside and resumed mouthing his harmonica. The cat, leaving some milk unlapped on the chair, quitely slipped under the bed. “Maybe it saw something there?” Kaziukas wondered, and he, too, crawled under the bed. There he saw the cat, with paws pulled in, as if it were cold. Kaziukas was thinking of popping back out from under the bed, but just then he saw, lodged under one of the feet of the bed, his lost ball. Joyfully, Kaziukas pulled the ball free, threw it into the center of the room, and in his excitement, started to play his harmonica even louder.<\/p>\n

Mom and Dad returned and chided Kaziukas about his scratched nose, and then they all began to talk about K\u016b\u010dios and Christmas. Kaziukas chimed in, “And animals do talk during the night before Christmas.” “How do you know this?” asked his father. As the no-longer-lost ball was now found, and the harmonica was in hand, Kaziukas felt free to recount how, having gotten up in the dead of night, he had asked the cat about the ball, and about how today the cat had crawled under the bed to direct him to where the missing ball was.” But his father had a different explanation: “You must have scared the animals with your playing. Margis ran from you to go outside the house, and the cat hid under the bed just to be away from your playing.” “Still,” Auntie steadfastly proclaimed, “animals do talk during the night before Christmas.” But at that point no one was listening, as all had finished eating, Father was reading the newspaper, and Mother was clearing the table. Elenut\u0117 fell asleep in her bed, embracing her new doll, and Kaziukas \u2013 he was now mad at the cat \u2013 why was it hiding under the bed in order to escape Kaziukas’ playing? Kaziukas would like to have caught the cat and penned him in a corner and forced it to listen to his playing right next to its ear, but he remembered that Auntie had insisted that the cat be forgiven for scratching his nose. Kaziukas decided to forgive the cat for both the scratch on his nose and for its unwillingness to listen to his playing.<\/p>\n

Kaziukas perched on a chair next to the window and fixed his gaze outside, where all was quiet and joyful. Kaziukas thought and thought: why couldn’t people be good to one another all the time, and why couldn’t all days be like Christmas, so that every day he would be able to play his new harmonica.<\/p>\n

KAL\u0116DIN\u0116 ARMONIKA<\/h3>\n

Tai buvo dar Lietuvoj. Kaziukas buvo ma\u017eas, nevaik\u0161\u010diojo \u012f mokykl\u0105 ir \u017eaid\u0117 namie su seseria Elenute, kuri buvo dar ma\u017eesn\u0117 \u016b\u017e j\u012f. Kaziukui prie\u0161 Kal\u0117das teta padovanojo raudonom ir \u017ealiom g\u0117lyt\u0117m da\u017eyt\u0105 gra\u017e\u0173 sviedin\u012f ir pasak\u0117: \u2013 Tu, Kaziuk, visk\u0105 i\u0161m\u0117tai. Jei iki Kal\u0117d\u0173 nepamesi sviedinio, nepradursi jo arba nesudraskysi ir jei visada b\u016bsi geras, a\u0161 tau Kal\u0117doms nupirksiu armonik\u0105. \u2013 Tikr\u0105 armonik\u0105? \u2013 paklaus\u0117 Kaziukas. \u2013 Visai tikr\u0105, \u2013 atsak\u0117 teta, \u2013 visai tikr\u0105, tik nedidel\u0119. Kaip tik tau.<\/p>\n

Kaziukas pa\u017ead\u0117jo b\u016bti geras. Jis klaus\u0117 t\u0117veli\u0173, neskriaud\u0117 sesers Elenut\u0117s, nemet\u0117 gaid\u017eio akmen\u0117liais, netamp\u0117 katino u\u017e aus\u0173, nejojo ant \u0161uns Margio ir i\u0161 viso elg\u0117si gerai, nes jam labai reik\u0117jo armonikos.
\nBet visai prie\u0161 Kal\u0117das Kaziukas \u017ei\u016bri, kad neb\u0117ra sviedinio. Juo \u017eaisti jau buvo nusibod\u0119, ir tod\u0117l tik prie\u0161 \u0161ventes sviedinio pasigedo. I\u0161ie\u0161kojo visus palovius ir kertes, bet niekur nerado. Ir Kaziukas i\u0161sigando: \u201eO kas bus, jei teta pamatys, kad n\u0117ra sviedinio ir nenupirks armonikos?”<\/p>\n

Taip jam besir\u016bpinant, at\u0117jo K\u016b\u010di\u0173 diena. Visi ruo\u0161\u0117si Kal\u0117dom, o Kaziuk\u0105 kankino r\u016bpestis: tikriausiai jis nebegaus armonikos, jei teta su\u017einos, kad Kaziukas dovanot\u0173 daikt\u0173 nesaugo.<\/p>\n

K\u016b\u010di\u0173 dien\u0105 teta, bekalb\u0117dama su mamyte ir t\u0117veliu, pasak\u0117: \u2013 \u0160i\u0105nakt neu\u017emir\u0161kite pasiklausyti, k\u0105 pasakys m\u016bs\u0173 b\u0117ris, nes K\u016b\u010di\u0173 nakt\u012f.visi gyvuliai kalba. \u2013 Juokai, niekas niekada n\u0117ra gird\u0117j\u0119s, \u2013 pasak\u0117 mamyt\u0117. \u2013 Neklaus\u0117 \u2013 tai negird\u0117jo, o vis tiek kalba, \u2013 nenusileido teta. \u2013 \u0160i\u0105nakt gal\u0117site pasiklausyti, \u2013 nusi\u0161ypsojo t\u0117velis, \u2013 tada tikrai su\u017einosit.<\/p>\n

Visi nusijuok\u0117, o Kaziukas pagalvojo, ar neverta b\u016bt\u0173 nakt\u012f nueiti pas \u0161un\u012f Marg\u012f ir paklausti, ar kartais nemat\u0117 sviedinio. Jis visur laksto, daug \u017eino ir gerai u\u017euod\u017eia.<\/p>\n

Bet nakt\u012f keltis ir \u0161alta, ir baisu. O gal kartais katinas nakt\u012f kalb\u0117s? Jis visada guli virtuv\u0117j. Bet su kuo kalb\u0117s katinas, jei jis vienas? O kartais gali ir vienas kalb\u0117ti, nes Kaziukas gird\u0117jo tet\u0105 kartais vien\u0105 kalban\u010di\u0105. Bet ka\u017ein, ar katinas gyvulys? Taip begalvodamas, Kaziukas paklaus\u0117 apie krosn\u012f besitri\u016bsian\u010dios mamyt\u0117s: \u2013 Mamyt, ar katinas gyvulys? \u2013 Na, kas \u010dia dabar? Ai\u0161ku, kad gyvulys. Ma\u017eas, bet vis tiek gyvul\u0117lis, \u2013 atsak\u0117 mamyt\u0117, ka\u017ek\u0105 d\u0117dama ant krosnies.<\/p>\n

Kai po K\u016b\u010di\u0173 visi sumigo, Kaziukas ilgai klaus\u0117si. Jis palauk\u0117, kol laikrodis i\u0161mu\u0161\u0117 dvylika kart\u0173, ir tada tyliai i\u0161\u0161oko i\u0161 lovos. \u0160altas oras perpyl\u0117 j\u012f kaip vandeniu, bet jis vis tiek, pir\u0161t\u0173 galais eidamas, pasiek\u0117 virtuv\u0119. Prie krosnies \u0161viet\u0117 \u017ealios katino akys. Matyt, j\u012f pabudino Kaziuko \u017eingsniai. Kaziukas tylomis pasilenk\u0117 ir pasak\u0117 katinui tiesiog \u012f aus\u012f: \u2013 Katin\u0117li, ar nematei mano sviedinio? Katinas i\u0161sigando taip netik\u0117tai Kaziuko u\u017ekluptas, pa\u0161oko ir koja grib\u0161tel\u0117jo jam per skruost\u0105. Kaziukas pa\u0161oko atgal, ranka perbraukdamas per veid\u0105, kuris labai per\u0161t\u0117jo. Jis sudav\u0117 ranka katinui per galv\u0105 ir su per\u0161tin\u010dia nosimi atsigul\u0117. Kaziukas negreit begal\u0117jo u\u017emigti. Jo galvoje buvo mintis: ka\u017ein, ar labai \u012fdr\u0117sk\u0117? Gal rytoj ryt\u0105 jokio \u017eenklo nebebus?<\/p>\n

Kai ryt\u0105 Kaziukas atsik\u0117l\u0117, t\u0117veliai buvo i\u0161va\u017eiav\u0119 \u012f ba\u017eny\u010di\u0105. Kaziukas skubiai nub\u0117go prie veidrod\u017eio. Tikrai, de\u0161in\u0117j pus\u0117j nosies buvo raudonas br\u0117\u017eis. Kaziukas nusipraus\u0117, o teta, kai pad\u0117jo jam ir Elenutei pusry\u010dius, pamat\u0117 Kaziuko sudraskyt\u0105 veid\u0105 ir paklaus\u0117: \u2013 Kur nos\u012f nusibrai\u017eei? Tai vaikas. B\u016bsi per \u0161ventes apsidrask\u0119s.<\/p>\n

Kaziukas verkdamas pamelavo: \u2013 Katin\u0105 \u0161iandien ryt\u0105 pa\u0117miau pane\u0161iot, ir sudrask\u0117. \u2013 Neverk, \u2013 tar\u0117 teta, \u2013 \u017ei\u016br\u0117k, net Elenut\u0117 juokiasi, \u0161tai tau armonika. Vakar b\u016b\u010diau atidavus, bet, sakau, grosi per nakt\u012f. Nosis sugis. \u0160iandien gim\u0117 J\u0117zus, taikos \u0161vent\u0117, tai reikia ir katinui atleisti. Jei visi \u017emones b\u016bt\u0173 geri, tai visiems ir visada b\u016bt\u0173 gera, kaip per Kal\u0117das. O Elenutei Kal\u0117d\u0173 senis atne\u0161\u0117 l\u0117l\u0119.
\n\u2013
\nKaziukas net valgyti nebenor\u0117jo. Jis paband\u0117 groti, o kai teta i\u0161\u0117jo \u012f kit\u0105 kambar\u012f miegot ar melstis, prad\u0117jo labai stipriai traukti (groti) armonik\u0105. Gra\u017e\u016bs garsai skrido i\u0161 tos blizgan\u010dios d\u0117\u017eut\u0117s, ir Kaziukui buvo labai smagu. Elenutei irgi labai patiko; ir ji, \u012fsiki\u0161usi \u012f bum\u0105 pir\u0161t\u0105, klaus\u0117si Kaziuko grojimo. Tik Margis pabudo\u2013ir prad\u0117jo cypdamas draskyti duris. Kaziukas j\u012f i\u0161leido laukan ir v\u0117l grojo. Katinas, palik\u0119s ant k\u0117d\u0117s nei\u0161lakt\u0105 pien\u0105, palindo palovin. \u2013 Ka\u017ein k\u0105 tas katinas ten pamat\u0117? \u2013 pasak\u0117 Kaziukas ir palindo po lova. Katinas tup\u0117jo susitrauk\u0119s, lyg jam b\u016bt\u0173 \u0161alta. Kaziukas nor\u0117jo l\u012fsti atgal, bet \u017ei\u016bri, kad u\u017e vienos lovos kojos u\u017esispraud\u0119s guli sviedinys. Kaziukas j\u012f i\u0161trauk\u0117, i\u0161met\u0117 vidurin kambario ir i\u0161 to d\u017eiaugsmo dar labiau prad\u0117jo groti.<\/p>\n

Kai gr\u012f\u017eo namo t\u0117veliai ir apibar\u0117 Kaziuk\u0105 u\u017e apdraskyt\u0105 nos\u012f, v\u0117l visi prad\u0117jo kalb\u0117ti apie K\u016b\u010dias ir Kal\u0117das, Kaziukas tar\u0117: \u2013 O a\u0161 \u017einau, kad gyvuliai kalba K\u016b\u010di\u0173 nakt\u012f. \u2013 I\u0161 kur tu \u017einai? \u2013 paklaus\u0117 t\u0117velis.
\nKadangi sviedinys buvo atsirad\u0119s, ir armonika buvo jau gauta, Kaziukas \u012fsidr\u0105sin\u0119s papasakojo, kaip nakt\u012f atsik\u0117l\u0119s, kaip klaus\u0117 katino, ir kaip \u0161iandien katinas, palind\u0119s po lova, parod\u0117 sviedin\u012f. \u2013 I\u0161sigand\u0119s tavo muzikos, Margis i\u0161b\u0117go lauk, ir katinas palindo palovin nuo tavo grojimo, \u2013 nusijuok\u0117 t\u0117velis. \u2013 Vis tiek gyvuliai, kalba, \u2013 pasak\u0117 teta, bet niekas nebeklaus\u0117, nes visi baig\u0117 valgyti, t\u0117velis skait\u0117 laikra\u0161t\u012f, o mamyt\u0117 kraust\u0117 nuo stalo indus. Elenut\u0117 u\u017emigo lovoj apsikabinusi nauj\u0105 l\u0117l\u0119, o Kaziukas pyko ant katino, kam \u0161is rodosi labai daug nusiman\u0105s muzikoj ir lenda \u012f palov\u012f pasisl\u0117pti nuo puikaus grojimo. Kaziukas nor\u0117jo pasigauti katin\u0105, u\u017edaryti \u012f kert\u0119 ir groti jam ilgai prie pat aus\u0173, bet atsimin\u0119s, kad teta liep\u0117 atleisti katinui u\u017e apdraskyt\u0105 nos\u012f, Kaziukas nutar\u0117 atleisti ir u\u017e muzikos nesiklausym\u0105.<\/p>\n

Kaziukas atsit\u016bp\u0117 ant k\u0117d\u0117s prie lango ir \u017ei\u016br\u0117jo \u012f lauk\u0105. Buvo tylu ir labai gera. Kaziukas tik negal\u0117jo suprasti, kod\u0117l \u017emon\u0117s negali vis\u0105 laik\u0105 b\u016bti vienas kitam geri, kad visada b\u016bt\u0173 Kal\u0117dos, ir jis visada gal\u0117t\u0173 groti nauja armonika.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We received an inquiry at Lithuanian Heritage relating to a very short story written by Aloyzas Baronas, about “Kaziuko Armonika.”\u00a0 The reader wanted to know where one could find more stories like this to read to children about the magical goings on during the night before Christmas, where animals are said to be able to …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5719,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[204,72,129],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-culture","category-religion","category-schools"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5722"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5722\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5798,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5722\/revisions\/5798"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}