The History of the Piano

in "The Piano Lesson"

1.

The family was owned by a man named

Robert Sutter and the Piano was owned
by a man named Joel Nolander

2.

On Sutter's wedding anniversary he

was looking for a gift for his wife,
Miss Ophelia, however he didn't have
money he only had slaves

3.
He asked Mr Nolander if he could trade
some slaves for the piano, he would
give him one and a half slaves for it,
Mr Nolander agreed but he had to pick
the ones he wanted

4. He chose Berniece (Boy Charles

grandmother) and Boy Charles, Doaker
and Wining boy’s father (he was only 9
years old)

5.
They made the trade and Miss Ophelia got
the piano and she would play the piano
all day long

Miss Ophelia started missing Berniece (to

6. help cook and clean and talk to her) and Boy

Charles father (to fetch things for him) so
Ophelia asked if she could trade back but Mr
Nolander said no

7. Miss Ophelia then got sick and wouldn't

leave her bed

Willie Boy (boy charles grandfather) was still

working for Mr Sutter as a worker of wood, Sutter

8. called Willie Boy to the house and told him to

carve Berniece and Boy Charles, Doaker and
Wining Boy’s father on the piano

He carved them the way he remembered them, but he

9.
also carved his mum, and his dad and then continued
carving important memories in their family: like when
him and Mama Berniece got married, when his dad
was born, his moms funeral, Mr Nolander taking
Mama Berniece and Boy Charles grandfather away to
Georgia and more

10. Ophelia was excited and happy with the

carvings and she kept playing until the
day she died

11. Years later, Boy Charles (Boy Willie and

Berniece’s father) could never get this piano
out of his mind.

Boy Charles wanted to take the piano out of

12. Sutter’s house since it had the story of their

whole family and as long as Sutter had the piano
he believed he had them and they were still in
slavery

The fourth of july of 1911 when Sutter had a

13.
picnic at the country Doaker and Wining boy
went down to his house and took the piano out
of Sutter’s house while Boy Charles waited for
Sutter to get home to make it look like business
as usual

14. When they noticed somebody stole the piano

someone went up to Boy Charles house and set it
on fire

15.
But Boy Charles wasn’t in his house and he must
have seen them coming since he went and
caught The Yellow Dog
16.
However, they stopped the train and
found Boy Charles in the boxcar with 4
hobos. They got mad they didnt find the
piano and set the boxcar on fire and
killed everybody

No one knows who lit the boxcar on fire,

17.
some people say it was Sutter since it
was his piano, others were saying it was
Sheriff Carter, while some said it was
Robert Smith and Ed Saunders

18.

2 months after that Ed Saunders fell
down his well, and people say it was
the ghost of the men who died in the
boxcar.