Kane the Kid
by Alice Winters
After returning home from a long evening at marching band practice, Kane was anxious to get some rest. He was beginning to disbelieve the band's motto: "Music is the soul of the game." Week after week, football fans ignored the half-time performance that they worked hard to perfect.
After he warned his little brother not to touch his drum, Kane fell into a deep sleep.
Boom! Boom! Tick! Boom! Boom! Tick!
What is that noise? Kane said to himself, sitting up. He was just about to get up and find his brother when he realized his bed had disappeared. Instead of feeling his soft bed sheets, his hand rubbed across hard dirt.
He leaped to his feet just in time to see a marching band dressed in disheveled overalls and cowboy boots coming up a hill. A covered wagon from the pages of Kane's history book rolled up the dirt road. As Kane tried to discover where he was and why he was there, the wagon driver pulled the reigns and yelled, "Whoa!"
The bearded, jolly-looking driver motioned for the band to climb in back of the wagon. "Whatcha doing out here, boy?" the driver called to Kane.
"I don't know," Kane said. "Can you tell me where I am exactly?"
" 'Bout 2 miles from the nearest town," the man chuckled. "Where are you from?"
Kane noticed the man's stare move from his face to his Littleview High School Band shirt and stop at his tennis shoes.
"The twenty-first century," Kane mumbled. In a louder voice, he answered, "I'm from Littleview, but I must be dreaming."
Kane couldn't hide the disbelief in his voice. Nothing around him looked familiar. Maybe he would be safer with a group than on his own.
"Mighty strange," the man said. "My name is Phil. This is my band, Fancy Folk. We can take you to town."
Kane climbed in the wagon and introduced himself to Phil and his bandmates, Too Tall, Jumpin' Jack, and Pops. As they rolled into town, Kane recognized a few buildings, including the courthouse, the hotel, and a church. These structures had always looked so ancient to Kane, but now, they appeared brand new. Phil told Kane he could rest at their boarding house until Kane figured things out.
While Kane slept, Too Tall took the stable owner up on an offer to tame a new horse. Too Tall was 16 like Kane and grew up on a horse ranch.
"There ain't a horse I can't break," he boasted as he entered the corral.
A few hours later, Kane woke up to a man's cries. Too Tall limped into the room with his arm in a sling. Phil followed close behind. "He tried to break a wild horse," Phil explained, shaking his head. "We're playing at the baseball stadium tonight. Where am I going to find a drummer?"
Kane grabbed Too Tall's drum. "Maybe I can help."
As the band began practicing, Kane recognized some of the folk songs and played along well.
"Not bad," Phil said. "We'll call you Kane the Kid."
On the way to the stadium, Kane noticed a discarded copy of the Littleview News with the date September 12, 1908.
He decided he would explain everything to Phil as soon as the show was over. Kane learned that there was no baseball game scheduled that night. People were filing into the stadium not for sports but for music. Kane finally realized why he never felt much joy with his own band. Music can only be the soul of the game if musicians believe it is, he concluded.
Kane surveyed the crowd with a proud smile but was blinded by the sun. Before he could shield his eyes, Kane woke up. At first, he saw only a bright light. Then he felt his familiar, soft bed sheets. Suddenly, he heard an equally familiar noise.
Boom! Boom! Tick! Boom! Boom! Tick!
He sat up and looked around. Maybe he was still in old Littleview after all. Instead of seeing Fancy Folk in the distance, Kane saw his little brother beating on his drum.
9
In the passage, Too Tall gets injured and Kane volunteers to take his place as drummer. What effect does the author create for the reader through this timing of events?
A.
anticipate Kane's lack of joy playing with his own band
B.
anticipate Kane's nightmares for not believing in his own band
C.
anticipation that participation in the band will resolve Kane’s conflict
D.
anticipation about how participation in the band help Kane become more confident