King Leo was a musician king. He wore a small gold crown and a bright blue coat with big round buttons. Across his back, he carried a little red guitar.
King Leo loved kind songs. In the morning, he played, “Plink, plonk, pling!” The birds woke up. The flowers opened. Even the sleepy cats stretched their paws.
One windy evening, King Leo came to the Haunted Mansion. It was a very old house on a hill. Its windows went blink-blink. Its door went creak-creak. Purple ivy curled around the walls.
“Do not worry,” said King Leo softly. “A house can sound spooky. It may just be saying hello.”
Then he heard a tiny sound from inside.
“Help! My song is gone!”
King Leo opened the big door. Creak! The hall was dark, but not too dark. Little moon lamps floated near the ceiling. They made silver circles on the floor.
By a dusty stair sat Wolf. Wolf was big and gray, with gentle yellow eyes. He had a fluffy tail and very careful paws.
“Hello, Wolf,” said King Leo. “Was that you?”
Wolf nodded. “Yes. I sing a bedtime song for the mansion every night. But tonight, my melody ran away. Now the rooms are grumpy.”
From upstairs came a loud, “No songs! No dancing! No happy noise!”
A small rebel leader stomped onto the stairs. He wore a black cape that was much too long. It dragged behind him: swish, swish, swish.
“I took the melody!” he cried. “I am the Rebel Leader! I want this mansion quiet, quiet, QUIET!”
King Leo held his red guitar close. He was a little scared. The Rebel Leader had a very cross face. But King Leo took one slow breath.
“We can be quiet sometimes,” said King Leo. “But a kind song helps friends feel safe.”
“No!” said the Rebel Leader. He ran away. Swish! Swish! Swish!
“Let us find the melody,” said Wolf.
King Leo and Wolf walked down a long hallway. The wallpaper had smiling moons on it. The moons whispered, “This way. This way.”
They came to the Tick-Tock Room. Big clocks bounced on the walls.
“Tick!” said one clock.
“Tock!” said another.
“The melody went through here,” said Wolf, sniffing. “I can smell music. It smells like warm honey.”
King Leo smiled. He played one small note. “Pling!”
The clocks stopped bouncing. They listened.
“Upstairs!” chimed the clocks. “The melody is upstairs!”
Up they went. Step. Step. Step.
At the top was the Mirror Room. Mirrors showed King Leo with a crown. Mirrors showed Wolf with three fluffy tails. One mirror showed a banana wearing boots.
Wolf gave a little laugh. “That banana is silly.”
But one mirror was sad. It had no reflection. It only hummed, “Mmmmmm.”
King Leo bent close. “Are you holding the song?”
The mirror hummed louder. “Mmmmmm!”
King Leo strummed his guitar very gently. “Plink. Plonk. Pling.”
Wolf added a soft howl. “Awooooo.”
The sad mirror shone blue. Out popped three glowing notes. They flew like tiny fireflies.
“Do-re-mi!” sang the notes.
“There is more!” said Wolf.
The notes zoomed toward the attic. King Leo and Wolf followed. In the attic, rain tapped the round window. Tap, tap, tap.
The Rebel Leader stood beside a gold music box. Inside the box was Wolf’s whole melody, curled up like a shining ribbon.
“Mine!” said the Rebel Leader.
King Leo did not shout. He sat on the floor.
“Would you like to hear a very quiet song?” he asked.
The Rebel Leader blinked. “A quiet song?”
“Yes,” said King Leo. “Small songs can be nice too.”
King Leo played softly. “Plink... plonk... pling...”
Wolf sang softly too. “Hooom... home... safe at home...”
The rain went tap-tap more gently. The mansion stopped creaking. The Rebel Leader’s cross face became a sad face.
“I do not like loud bangs,” he whispered. “They make me jump.”
Wolf moved closer, slowly and kindly. “You could have told us.”
“I did not know how,” said the Rebel Leader.
King Leo nodded. “Next time, say, ‘Please be quiet.’ We will listen.”
The Rebel Leader looked at the gold music box. Then he opened it.
Whoosh! The shining melody flew out. It danced around Wolf’s ears. It danced around King Leo’s crown. It danced through every room of the Haunted Mansion.
The windows stopped blinking so hard. The door stopped creaking so loudly. The moon lamps glowed warm and gold.
Wolf sang his bedtime song. King Leo played his red guitar. The Rebel Leader tapped one little foot. Tap. Tap. Then he smiled.
At the end, the old mansion gave a happy rumble. A secret wall opened behind the attic boxes.
Inside was a treasure chest.
King Leo opened it. There were silver bells, golden drumsticks, and a tiny blue flute with stars painted on it.
“This is for you,” said Wolf, giving King Leo the flute. “You saved my melody.”
“And this is for you,” said King Leo, giving the Rebel Leader a pair of soft, purple earmuffs. “For times you need calm.”
The Rebel Leader put them on. “They are cozy,” he said.
That night, King Leo learned to play the starry blue flute. “Toot-toot, twinkle-toot!” it sang.
Wolf curled up by the fire. The Rebel Leader sat nearby, not cross at all. And the Haunted Mansion became a cozy mansion, full of gentle music, kind friends, and one very special treasure song.