There once was a beggar who loved to hear himself sing. He lived behind a dumpster next to a super market. He had the most amazing voice. No one would listen to him though. He would sing all day and all night. Cats would purr to the sound of his voice. Dogs would come to sing along. All animals would come to hear this sound. No humans though. Image is everything to some. Who would want to visit a lonely smelly street beggar, even if his voice sounded as though the angels had come? His only audience, the animals. Even without people to sing to, the man was filled with joy for he loved his voice.

Then one day, a little girl was on her way to the super market. She must have been about seven years old and very bright. The man was singing one of his most favored songs. The little girl heard him. She wondered what that noise was. She began searching around every corner until she found him. The girl’s eyes began to grow wide as she saw the man in his filthy clothes and scruffy chin. Her button nose scrunched up at his smell of rotten meat and wet dog. She asked him to sing with no fear of danger in her voice. This shocked the man. Someone was talking to him and it was not to threaten. He sang. He sung for the girl with joy in his eyes. Although it was nice to be alone to sing, it was also nice to have an audience. He sung twelve songs total until they heard the girl’s mother calling for her. The girl quickly said goodbye and ran off to find her mother. The old man went to sleep happier that night knowing he had brought someone joy.

The girl returned the next day and asked him to sing. Again he sung his heart out for the little girl. After a few songs, she left at the call of her mother. She came the day after, though with an older woman. This was the girl’s mother. She did not seem to be thrilled about being led behind a smelly dumpster. The girl asked the beggar to sing. The man sung his heart out for the both of them to hear. The mother’s frown began to fade and what might have been a smile began to appear. The days after were full of cheerful singing and the audience of two. Though, some days, they would bring people to listen. Months flew by and more and more people came to listen the man’s voice filling everyone with cheer. The beggar continued to sing until he could not sing anymore. Not just he loved his voice anymore.