The story revolves around a young boy who lives with his grandmother in a small village. He has a habit of humming a tune that he heard from a traveling circus performer. The villagers find the humming annoying, but the boy continues to do so, driven by a deep emotional connection to the tune. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the boy's humming is a coping mechanism for his difficult past and a way to express emotions he cannot verbalize.
By Eugene Field · First published 1893 · Genre: Children's Poetry, Lyric Poetry, Nostalgia