After a climb to the top of the hill I decided to rest on a bench. I had reached the local castle and heard voices in the grounds. A brass band was assembled, but not playing, They were taking a pause. It was then I saw the trombone. I suppose there is a problem if you are not playing it, what do you do with it. This enterprising musician put it on the top of the stone wall. This was an invitation to a photo: a trombone resting on the middle aged walls of a castle. Trombones did not even exist when the castle was built, it was probably all harpsichord and lute at that time.

I sat for a while on the bench, the musicians finished their break, packed their instruments together and went home. And the trombone? Yes, that was the problem, it was still there. It had been forgotten. As I could not play the trombone I did want to take it home, but I could not leave this trombone on its own on the wall. It looked like rain and a wet trombone would not be so good.

I took it from the wall and walked into the castle.

“Hello” I said to the lady looking after things “it seems one of the musicians has forgotten his trombone.”

“The musicians have gone home and no-one seemed to be missing a trombone.”

“Perhaps you could keep it in your office. I am sure the musician will realise he has forgotten it when he arrives home.”

“I don’t remember any of the musicians having a trombone, it was a string quartett.”

I was puzzled as I definitely saw a brass band in the grounds of the castle.

“Then perhaps you had a brass band playing last week.”

“We have no brass bands at our castle. They would be far too brassy.”

The trombone was now laying heavy in my arms.

“What shall I do with the trombone?” I asked.

“Put it back where you found it.”

A year later the trombone was still laying on the wall at the castle. I mentioned it at the castle and to a few people I knew that took walks to the castle. They looked at me mysteriously. “What trombone?”, “There is no trombone there”. On my way home a year later from a walk to the castle I met a man, who seemed to be looking for something.

“Have you seen my trombone?”

“There is one on the castle wall.”

“Yes, there it is” and he took it under his arm, walked through the wall and disappeared. Today there is no trombone laying on the wall of the castle.

Daily Prompt: The brass trombone