孫德珍 12/26/2025
最近我在寫童話故事。年輕時我曾寫過一套書《美的分享、音樂的生活》，其中主題曲〈音樂的生活〉其實是一段美人魚的寓言故事。表面是童話，內裡卻是一張「人如何重返世界」的地圖：當一個人失去與外界溝通的能力，或被困在某種外殼裡時，真正能打開局面的，不一定是更精準的語言，而是先有一顆願意溝通的心；而音樂智能，常常是上帝給人的一條教育救贖之路——在文字之前，先用可感、可跟隨的系統，喚醒生命的回應能力。
一、寓言故事簡介
故事從一個充滿光的早晨開始：美人魚好奇地游到海面，在沙灘上聽見滴答滴答的聲音。她發現一只半埋沙中的時鐘，抱起來貼近耳邊聽，才知道滴答聲裡藏著音樂。音樂輕輕說話：那是音樂國的王子。王子出生高貴，卻因拒絕女巫的求婚而被施下咒語，無法以原貌示人，只能以音樂溝通，等待一位真心相愛的人願意抱住他不放，並陪他找回音樂國失落的七把鑰匙，使他回復原形，讓國度重現榮美。
美人魚答應了。王子用音樂給提示：sol、la 開啟第一關；接著 fa 指向花、mi 指向蜜蜂、re 指向雷電、do 指向蝌蚪、si 指向小河西。當七把鑰匙被一把一把找回，美人魚唱出完整音階 do re mi fa sol la si，暴雨停了，天空變亮，時鐘不再滴答，化為英俊的王子。遠方音樂國的門緩緩打開，兩人共度難關，結合良緣，一起治理音樂國。
二、寓言的象徵意義
這則寓言談的不是「魔法變身」，而是「溝通如何開始」：
**王子（時鐘）**象徵那些因疾病、不幸遭遇或差異而無法以主流方式表達的人。他們不一定缺少天賦，只是被困在外殼裡，通道變窄。
只能用音樂說話象徵：語言不只口語與文字；還有節奏、音高、重複、身體、系統。
美人魚象徵能跨越世界的同理者。她不靠翻譯，而靠感受與系統，讀懂訊息。
鑰匙與音階象徵把混亂變成可跟隨的次序：一步一步建立方向感。
手拉手象徵溝通的起點：不是先有詞彙，而是先有人願意靠近、願意握住、願意開始。
美人魚第一次嘗試，是發現時鐘有「手」，她也有手。她用自己的兩隻手去握住時針與分針，大喊「手拉手」，兩把鑰匙掉下來，沙地上印出箭頭指向前方。這個細節提醒我：溝通的開始，常常不是語言，而是「願意」；當願意出現，方向就出現。
為什麼我刻意用英文 key
我在這個寓言裡特別喜歡用英文 key，因為中文「鑰匙」不會自然聯想到音樂，但英文 key 一字多義，會同時打開三個世界：
a key (to a door)：開門的鑰匙——找到入口，回到世界
a piano key：琴鍵——按下去就能發聲，發聲就是溝通的開始
the key of C / key signature：調性——回到「主音的家」，張力得以歸位
因此「七把 key」不只是七支鑰匙，也是七個能讓人重新進門、重新發聲、並回到主音之家的生命入口。
三、五個場景符號：多感官啟動，走向解決
我想表達的，不只是音樂能溝通，更是：音樂智能能「啟動多感官」，打開許多學習的困難。寓言裡的每一個場景，其實是一把教育的鑰匙：
花（fa）＝視覺與嗅覺被喚醒
花代表「美的入口」。當孩子先看見、先聞到，美感喚醒注意力與願意，學習就能靠近系統。
蜜蜂（mi）＝動覺被啟動，聽覺被喚醒
蜜蜂做工帶出動作與聆聽：孩子用身體模仿、用耳朵辨音，動覺與聽覺同步點火，學習從抽象變成可做、可記、可穩定。
雷（re）＝喚醒：看見危機，願意尋求保護
雷不是懲罰，而是警鈴。它讓孩子醒來：知道危機、願意停下來、願意尋求保護與界線，從衝動轉向自保與成熟。
蝌蚪（do）＝音符：進入音樂內涵，追求理解；尾巴擺動象徵會思考
蝌蚪象徵音符本身。音符不是字，它先是震動；尾巴擺動像音波，代表生命仍在回應與思考。do 像回到根基，使學習從表面的模仿走進內在的理解。
小河西（si）＝尋找生命的安定，找到自己的真理
小河西是安住之處，也是解決之處。導音必須進入主音才算解決——si 的張力要走向歸位，生命才真正落地。它象徵孩子找到自己的安定與真理，不再被洪流推著走。
四、延伸寓言：小池王國與「尾巴擺動律」
在我的書寫裡，蝌蚪不只是被保護者，也是一群最先醒來的人。我曾寫過「小池王國」：一群有理想、有抱負的小蝌蚪興辦學校、改革教育，研究環境的改變與生命的改變。因為環境污染，蝌蚪最先知道；他們敏感、容易受傷，卻也因此最早察覺危機，於是他們救自己，也救天下。
小池王國最有名的學說叫「尾巴擺動律」：
尾巴好尾巴妙，尾巴用處真不少；
東擺擺西搖搖，小池世界任逍遙；
小池大小池小，尾巴擺動便知道；
搖一搖數一數，數一數搖一搖。
這首看似童稚的歌，其實在教觀察、比較、數算與驗證——把世界讀成可理解的規律。
而在歌劇中，大寶與福樂的「世紀大辯論」又指出群體的排斥：我們蝌蚪族有悠久的尾巴文化，怎麼會有這樣醜的祖先？沒有尾巴蝌蚪還有前途嗎？甚至對「沒有尾巴」者說：你這個沒有尾巴的東西，還是快走吧。這段提醒我：當生命正在進化，舊世界常用嘲笑與標籤阻擋改變；然而真正的出路，往往就在那個被誤解的轉變裡。
五、寓言的教育內涵：音樂智能如何打開困難
孩子在學會文字之前，先用本能與愛學會母語；因此音樂也是一種不需翻譯的語言。對識字有困難的孩子而言，音樂智能提供一條仍能學會生活、學會溝通的路：當文字暫時無法承接時，節拍、旋律、重複、系統仍能承接一個人的心，帶他回到關係裡。
《音樂的生活》不只是一套音樂教材。它在 52 首歌曲中藏著許多基本概念，讓孩子在唱與玩之中自然建立唱名與音感。例如：
〈手在哪裡？手在這裡。〉唱到「手」時用 sol，孩子在動作中記住 sol，也更容易連結手譜。
〈手拉手向前走〉每次出現「手拉手」，旋律就是 sol la sol，強化音高位置與群體節奏。
〈小蜜蜂〉出現三個 mi；牠來到〈花園中〉時出現三個 fa，孩子在情境裡辨認音級。
〈小蝌蚪〉裡「多多」讓 do 出現；〈天上雲多〉每次唱到「多」是高音 do。
〈小貓咪〉「過河西、跟奶奶、吃東西」等語感帶出 si，讓語音與旋律一起記憶。
而主題曲〈音樂的生活〉更像總結：把所有唱名藏在歌詞與畫面裡，讓孩子在「點點滴滴」中建立完整的音階系統。
六、兩個孩子的生命見證：不是被逼聽話，而是自願守約
在我的生命中，我遇見過不少人：他們或因疾病，或因不幸遭遇，失去了與人溝通的能力，被貼上怪胎或殘缺的標籤；然而他們仍保有天賦的本能，只是藏在智能的某個角落。只要有人懂得那個入口，就能一步一步引導他走向溝通，而溝通往往就是問題被解開的開始。
我也在兩個自閉兒孩子身上看見這個寓言的真實回聲。
其中一位孩子動覺特別強，學得很快，卻不喜歡別人糾正，也很少在家練習。家長與老師常因此束手，因為他有自己的意見。後來因為他很愛老師，他願意靠近；老師不強迫他，一直等到他自己願意練習，並讓他自己決定要改變。
有一天，他在思考後忽然說：我今天開始要練琴。他甚至自己提出解決辦法，願意把讓自己分心的事鎖住，換成能守約的生活節奏；最後他要了一個擁抱當作蓋章，為自己的 commitment 作見證。
那一刻我深深明白：真正的改變不是被逼出來的，是在安全關係裡自己長出來的。
弟弟的路更長。老師花了一年時間陪伴與等待，直到他願意為了留在這個教室而守約。這份約落在三個尊重：
尊重老師：當他的行為會形成問題時，被老師制止必須要停下來——因為他是老師。
尊重自己：該做的事要做；每個同學都參與時他也要一起做；不做害羞的事——如果做了會覺得丟臉，那就不要做。
尊重環境：你有很大的權利使用這個環境讓自己高興，但如果你的快樂會破壞環境，就必須停止。
這不是壓制，而是把孩子帶到「小河西」：一個能安住、能呼吸、能長大的地方，讓自由與責任一起成立。
結語
在這則寓言裡，鑰匙不是金屬，鑰匙是通道：是願意牽手的心，是能被感受的系統，是在多感官中被喚醒的學習能力，也是導音走向主音的歸位。當有人懂得那個語言，溝通就開始；當溝通開始，世界就開始變大。音樂的生活，於是成為生命的 key。
The Keys of Life
Recently, I have been writing fairy tales again. When I was younger, I wrote a book series called Sharing Beauty, A Life of Music. Its theme song, “A Life of Music,” is actually a mermaid fable. On the surface it reads like a children’s story, but underneath it is a map—a map of how a person finds their way back to the world. When someone loses the ability to communicate, or becomes trapped inside an outer shell, what opens the way forward is not always sharper language. Often it begins with a heart willing to connect. And musical intelligence can be one of the ways God rescues education—before words, a system we can feel and follow awakens a living response.
1. Story Summary
The story begins on a bright morning. A mermaid swims up to the surface and hears a tick-tock on the shore. Half-buried in the sand she finds a clock. When she lifts it close to her ear, she discovers that inside the ticking there is music. The music speaks softly: it is the prince of the Music Kingdom.
The prince was born into nobility, but after he refused a witch’s proposal, she placed a curse on him. He can no longer appear in his true form, and he can communicate only through music. He must wait for someone who truly loves him—someone who will hold on to him without letting go, and who will help him recover the seven lost keys of the Music Kingdom so he can return to himself and the kingdom can be restored.
The mermaid agrees. The prince offers musical clues: sol and la open the first gate; then fa points to flowers, mi to bees, re to thunder and lightning, do to tadpoles, and si to the “west side of the stream.” When all seven keys are recovered, the mermaid sings the full scale—do re mi fa sol la si. The storm stops, the sky brightens, the clock no longer ticks, and it transforms into a handsome prince. In the distance, the gates of the Music Kingdom open. They have endured the trials together, and they now rule the kingdom side by side.
2. The Symbolic Meaning of the Fable
This fable is not mainly about magical transformation. It is about how communication begins.
- The prince (as a clock) represents people who, through illness, trauma, or difference, cannot express themselves in the “mainstream” way. They may not lack gifts; they may simply be sealed inside a shell, with the channel narrowed.
- Speaking only through music reminds us that language is not only words. Language can also be rhythm, pitch, repetition, the body, and system.
- The mermaid represents a compassionate person from “another world”—someone who does not depend on translation, but can understand through feeling and structure.
- The keys and the scale represent turning confusion into a sequence you can follow—building a sense of direction step by step.
- Holding hands represents the starting point of communication: not vocabulary first, but someone willing to come close, to hold, to begin.
The mermaid’s first attempt is simple. She notices the clock has hands, and she has hands too. She holds the hour hand and the minute hand and cries, “Hand in hand!” Two keys fall out, and an arrow is pressed into the sand pointing forward. This detail says something profound: communication often begins not with language, but with willingness—and when willingness appears, direction appears.
Why I deliberately use the English word key
In Chinese, “a key” does not naturally evoke music. In English, key is a richly layered word that opens three worlds at once:
- a key (to a door): access—an entrance back into the world
- a piano key: voice—press it and sound appears; sound is the beginning of communication
- the key of C / key signature: tonality—returning “home” to the tonic, where tension resolves
So the “seven keys” are not merely objects. They are seven life-access points: to re-enter, to sound again, and to return to the tonic—home.
3. Five Scenes as Educational Symbols: Multisensory Awakening, Toward Resolution
What I want to express is not only that music can communicate, but that musical intelligence awakens multiple senses and can open many learning difficulties. Each scene is an educational key.
Flowers (fa): awakening vision and smell
Flowers represent an entrance through beauty. When children first see and smell, attention and willingness awaken; learning can approach system through delight.
Bees (mi): activating movement, awakening hearing
Bees at work ignite both action and listening. Children imitate with the body and discriminate pitch with the ear. When movement and hearing light up together, learning becomes doable, memorable, and stable.
Thunder (re): awakening—seeing danger, learning to seek protection
Thunder is not punishment; it is an alarm. It awakens the child to risk, to boundaries, and to the willingness to pause and seek safety—moving from impulse to self-protection and maturity.
Tadpoles (do): notes themselves—entering musical meaning; tail-wagging as thinking
Tadpoles symbolize the notes themselves. A note is not a word; it begins as vibration. The tail’s motion is like a wave—it signals that life still responds and still thinks. Do returns us to the foundation, turning imitation into understanding.
The West Side of the Stream (si): seeking inner steadiness and one’s truth
“The west side of the stream” is the place of settling—and the place of solution. In music, the leading tone must resolve into the tonic; only then is the tension completed. Likewise in life: si must move into home—so the self can land, breathe, and become anchored.
4. An Expanded Fable: The Tadpole Kingdom and the “Tail-Wagging Law”
In my writing, tadpoles are not only those who need rescue; they are also the ones who awaken first. In my “Tadpole Kingdom,” a group of ambitious tadpoles found schools, reform education, and study how environmental change shapes life. When pollution begins, tadpoles are the first to know. They are sensitive and easily harmed—yet because of that, they detect danger early. They save themselves, and they try to save the world.
The Tadpole Kingdom’s most famous theory is the “Tail-Wagging Law”:
Good tail, clever tail, a tail can do so much.
Wag to the east, sway to the west—the little-pond world is yours to explore.
Small pond, big pond—your tail will tell you so.
Wag and count, count and wag.
This childlike rhyme actually teaches observation, comparison, counting, and verification—reading the world as an understandable pattern.
And in the opera, the “Great Debate of the Century” between Da-Bao and Fu-Le reveals something else: a community can protect identity through ridicule. “We tadpoles have an ancient tail culture—how could our ancestors be so ugly? Without tails, do tadpoles have a future?” They even drive away the “tailless” one: “You without a tail—leave!” This reminds me that when life is evolving, the old world often blocks change with labels. Yet the way out is often hidden inside the misunderstood transformation.
5. Educational Meaning: How Musical Intelligence Opens Learning Difficulties
Before children learn to read, they learn their mother tongue through instinct and love. In the same way, music can be a language that does not require translation. For children who struggle with literacy, musical intelligence can still offer a path to learn how to live and how to communicate. When words cannot yet hold a child, rhythm, melody, repetition, and system can hold the heart and bring the child back into relationship.
A Life of Music is not only a music textbook. Within its 52 songs are many foundational musical concepts, so children build solfège and pitch sense naturally through singing and play. For example:
- In “Where Are Your Hands? Here They Are,” the word hands is sung on sol, so children remember sol through movement and begin to connect it to hand signs.
- In “Hand in Hand, Let’s Walk Forward,” every time “hand in hand” appears, the melody is sol–la–sol, strengthening pitch placement and group pulse.
- In “Little Bee,” the melody contains three mi; when it arrives in “the garden,” the melody contains three fa, allowing children to recognize scale degrees through story.
- In “Little Tadpole,” the name “Duo-Duo” brings out do; in “So Many Clouds,” the word “many” is sung on a high do.
- In “Kitty,” phrases like “crossing to the west side” carry si, letting speech-sound and melody form one memory.
And the theme song “A Life of Music” gathers everything: it hides solfège inside lyrics and images, so children build a complete inner map of the scale—little by little, in everyday life.
6. Two Children’s Testimonies: Not Forced Obedience, but Voluntary Commitment
In my life I have met many people who, through illness or misfortune, lose the ability to communicate and are labeled as “strange” or “broken.” Yet they still carry gifted instincts, hidden in some corner of cognition. If someone understands the right entry point, they can gently guide that person toward communication. And communication is often the beginning of healing.
I have also witnessed this fable in two autistic children.
One child has exceptionally strong motor intelligence and learns quickly, but he dislikes being corrected and rarely practices at home. Parents and teachers often feel helpless because he has his own opinions. Yet because he deeply loves his teacher, he is willing to listen. The teacher does not force him, but waits until he is willing to practice—and allows him to decide for himself that he wants to change. One day, after thinking quietly, he said, “Starting today, I will practice.” He even proposed his own solution: locking away what distracts him and reshaping his daily rhythm so he can keep his promise. At the end he asked for a hug as a seal—his commitment. In that moment I understood: real change is not pushed into a child; it is born inside safety.
The younger brother’s path was longer. His teacher spent a full year accompanying and waiting until he was willing to keep an agreement in order to remain in the classroom. The agreement became three kinds of respect:
- Respect the teacher: when his behavior becomes a problem and the teacher stops him, he must stop—because the teacher is the teacher.
- Respect himself: do what needs to be done; if everyone participates, he participates too; do not do actions that would make him feel ashamed if others knew.
- Respect the environment: he has great freedom to use the space for joy, but if his joy will damage the environment, he must stop.
This is not suppression. It is leading a child to the “west side of the stream”—a place where he can settle, breathe, and grow, where freedom and responsibility can both stand.
Conclusion
In this fable, the keys are not metal. The keys are pathways: a heart willing to hold hands, a system that can be felt, learning awakened through multiple senses, and finally the musical truth of resolution—the leading tone returning to the tonic. When someone understands that language, communication begins. And when communication begins, the world becomes larger. A life of music becomes, quite literally, a life-giving key.
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