"That's Where Your Mojo Is" Part IV

Bonus! Listen to "That's Where Your Mojo Is" at the end of the adventure today! 

ALL THE WHILE Elephant Gerald and John Cole Crane were walking to Miss Kitty’s Playce, John was blowing on his saxophone.

“Phhhhhhhlllllllaaaaaappphhhhhhh,” screeched the horn. “I think I got it, Gerald. I think my mojo is stuck in there. Your mama said it’s deep down inside.” With his big crane eyes John was looking up the bell of his horn.

Gerald was deep in thought. That song his mama was singing when he left the house sounded like the song that was in his dream. It was right on the tip of his trunk.

“There’s Django and the rest of the band heading into Miss Kitty’s Playce,” Gerald said. 

“Oh no, Gerald,” said John suddenly in a panic. “I can’t do it! I can’t go in there with my misplaced, mislaid, long gone, passed on, forgone mojo!”

“Don’t forget dis-da-peared, too,” said Gerald.

John hit Gerald with his wing. “Don’t you go on making me feel worse than I already do!”

Gerald tried not to smile, but his belly started jiggling. John tried to look mad, but started to giggle, which then made Gerald laugh so hard, his horn blew and he let out a loud toot. John then fell to the ground in hysterics, rolling in the dry dirt and creating another cloud of dust.

They didn’t even see Billie Goat Holiday standing next to them, tapping her foot.

“You fools done with your shenanigans so we can get to rehearsal?” she asked.

“Oh, well, tee-hee-hee…we’ll be right there Miss Billie,” John said trying to hold his laughter.

Suddenly Gerald jumped up and stood face-to-face with Billie. She turned four shades of red, thinking that finally he was going kiss her. She puckered up her lips.

“I’m gonna’ give you a C with my horn and you sing it back to me,” Gerald said.

“What?” asked Billie, opening her eyes.

“I said sing me something in the key of C, and stop puckering your lips!

“Gerald, what in the world you up to?"

“I remembered this song from my dream, it’s one my mama used to sing to me. Billie, I’m gonna’ get Johnny bird’s mojo back!"

John Cole Crane sat up straight as a board. “What you talkin’ about Gerald?”

Gerald blew his horn. “Just sing me a C, Billie, just like that. A long, loud, clear C note.”

Billie Goat shrugged her shoulders, breathed deep and sang the most beautiful note John Cole Crane had ever heard.

“My, my, my, my, myyyyy,” John said with his beak wide open.

“THAT’S what I need,” said Gerald. “Billie, you go inside and set up a microphone front and center for our good friend John Cole Crane.”

“But Gerald, I can’t…” said John.

“Oh yes you can,” said Gerald confidently.

Billie looked as confused as John, but did what Gerald said and went back inside Miss Kitty’s Playce.

“Stand up, get your saxophone off the ground, and give me a C,” Gerald said, and he blew a long note through his trunk again.

John hesitantly stood up and blew into his mouthpiece. A high pitch noise squealed out.

“Okay, now close your eyes. Do you remember what Django said? He said your mojo is gonna’ find you. And remember what Billie said yesterday about her granny goat?”

“That she’s got a mole at the end of her nose?”

“Not that! Her granny says something about mojo being a heart condition,” Gerald was pacing back and forth, rubbing his lucky pouch. He could hardly hold his excitement. “Now, what was the last thing my mama said to you when you walked out the door?”

“She said my mojo is deep down inside. But you know I looked in my sax and I found nothin’!”

“It’s not in your SAX, Johnny bird, it’s in your HEART, and your SOUL! It’s deep down inside you, brother!”

Gerald grabbed John so hard by the wing he flew up in the air. They ran into Miss Kitty’s Playce where the rest of the band was already set up.

“Listen up everyone. My mama used to sing me a song a long time ago. I dreamed about it last night, and she was humming it when we left this morning. You just follow along with me in the key of C and we’re gonna’ get Johnny bird his mojo back!”

They all looked surprised, but followed Gerald’s lead.

“Okay Johnny bird, you ready? I’ll sing the song and you join in when you feel that mojo!”

John nodded and stood hopefully with the saxophone in his wings.

“When you're feeling down
And you've got the blues
Here's a little something
That you can do
You got to look deep down inside you
Cuz that’s where your mojo is

Miss Ella walked in just at that moment and smiled. Years ago she had lost her mojo too, and believe it or not, it was John Cole Crane’s daddy who helped her find it again. Sure was good to see Gerald taking care of his new friend. 

"You won't find it in the ocean
You won't find it in a tree
You won't find it in the muddy old Mississippi
You can looky over here
You can looky over there
But you ain't gonna’ find it anywhere

John had his eyes closed and was swaying back and forth, listening to the words and feeling the groove. 

"Unless you're looking deep down inside
To where your heart and your soul reside
You got to look deep down inside you
’Cuz that's where your Mojo is. 

Billie started to sing, and Gerald lifted up his trunk to play along. Her voice moved John so much that he jumped up on stage in front of the empty microphone and played the best saxophone he’d ever played in his life. Gerald’s eyes lit up. 

"So get your head out of the clouds
Keep your eyes off the stars
Come down to earth and see who you really are
You got to look deep down inside you
‘Cuz that’s where your mojo is."

John Cole Crane wailed on a solo to end the song with a grand finale. The rest of the band cheered, John turned so red he almost fainted, and Miss Ella wiped a tear from her eye. And Elephant Gerald, well Elephant Gerald had never been more proud of anyone as he had that day of his new friend, John Cole Crane.   THE END

Now take a listen to Robert J. singing "That's Where Your Mojo Is." Written & Copyrighted Robert J. Conaway, Recorded at Celebration Church, New Orleans, with Music Director, Dwight Fitch.

Come back next Sunday for the start of a new adventure 
with Elephant Gerald and his 'krewe' in the bayou!

 

"That's Where Your Mojo Is" Part III

AS ELEPHANT GERALD, Django Rhinoceros, and John Cole Crane approached Miss Kitty’s Playce, they were feeling discouraged that they couldn’t find this mysterious thing called mojo. Certainly, John couldn’t play his saxophone with his new friends if it wasn’t found. 

“You think the mojo got blown out of your nest and stuck in a tree?” Django Rhinoceros asked. 

“Well then it could be anywhere in the bayou,” John said sadly.

In front of Miss Kitty’s Playce, Billie Goat Holiday was standing at the bottom of the stairs. She had her hands on her hips and was tapping her hoof. 

“Uh-oh, Billie looks mad,” Elephant Gerald said.

“Who’s Billie?” John asked Django.

“Just the best singing goat you ever heard,” Django said. “If you ever get to play your sax again, her voice will carry that tune to heaven. But don’t make her mad.”

“Why not?”

“She’s sweet on Gerald, ya’ know,” Django whispered. “But Gerald, well he’s just downright blind to her affections if you know what I mean. That’s what makes her mad.” John wasn't sure what Django meant, and just nodded his head.

Django himself was sweet on Billie and swooned to her singing, but when her temper flared, he ran like a chicken from a wolf.

“Gerald, where you been?” demanded Billie Goat.

“Miss Billie, this here’s John Cole Crane, a saxophone player. We’re helping him find his mojo!”

“Well that is no excuse to be late for practice. What’s a mojo, anyway?”

Gerald looked down, Django looked up and John Cole Crane just let out a squawk.  

“I think my granny goat used to say something about mojo bein’ a heart condition,” said Billie. “Or… was she talking about that big ol’ mole on the end of her nose? Anyway, ya’ll better come in. You’re late!”

“Glad to meet you Miss Billie,” John said nervously. “But you see…you see my missing mojo is the reason I can’t come in and play with ya’ll!”

Billie raised her pretty brown goat eyes, shrugged her shoulders, and walked up the steps.

When they got inside, Miss Kitty had already poured the kids a cool mango shake. Gerald, Django, and Billie sat on the stools by the counter. John nervously took his saxophone out of the old white cloth. He took a deep breath and blew out a whiny, sour note.

“Gerald,” Billie whispered. “Can’t you help John find this mojo thing he’s lost? We sure could use a sax player.” Billie loved any opportunity to be so close to Gerald. “Maybe Miss Ella could help.”

“No, Billie,” Gerald whispered back to her. “You know my mama wants us to figure out our own problems. But maybe if he can stay at my house tonight I can figure something out.”

 Billie turned bright red as Gerald whispered in her ear.

“When Johnny bird and I go," said Gerald. "You two make sure the whole band is early for our last rehearsal tomorrow before our big show, ya’ hear?”

“You got it, Gerald,” said Django. “And John, don’t you worry one feather about your mojo. I bet it’s going find you!”

The next morning Elephant Gerald was dreaming about performing a song on stage. But as soon as he woke, the song just left his head.

“Oh, what was that catchy song,” Gerald said disappointed. “I’m sure I've heard it before.”

He put on his lucky pouch, hoping it would help him find John’s mojo.  Miss Ella was in the kitchen arranging some hay on a plate with gobs of peanut butter mixed in.

“Muck encrusted hay biscuits!” Gerald exclaimed.

“Goooood Morning, sugar,” Miss Ella said in her sing-songy voice. “I just had to make something special for your big day. How did your rehearsal go yesterday?”

“I met a new friend who plays the saxophone. Problem is, Mama, he lost his mojo. We’re trying to help him find it, but it’s hard to find something when you don’t know what it is.”

“Lost his mojo, hmmmm?” said Miss Ella. “Yes sir, that’s a mighty big problem. You think about that, Gerald, and I’m sure something will come to you. And where’s this friend of yours now?”

“His name is John Cole Crane, and he slept on the roof last night. Mind if I call him in?”

“It would be a privilege to meet a new friend of yours, Gerald,” replied Miss Ella.

Gerald thought it would be easier to call up to John from the fireplace. He stuck his head into the hearth. “Hey Johnny bird, are you awake yet?”

Little did Gerald know that just as he was calling up to the crane, John was bent half way into the chimney to see if his mojo had somehow fallen in there. The loud echo and the surprise of Gerald’s voice scared John, and he lost his balance. Down he went head first into the soot-filled fireplace.

John’s long skinny body came crashing into the ashes, rolled out of the fireplace, and onto the floor in front of Gerald and Miss Ella.  Ashes flew everywhere and his sax tumbled to the floor behind him. The once white cloth that held it was as black as coal.

“Um, Mama, this is John Cole Crane,” said Gerald, coughing from the cloud of dust.

John looked more like a giant crow than a crane. He stood up and tried to shake the ashes off with his feathers making an even bigger cloud.

“Oh my! Sorry ma’am! So sorry!” John flew as fast as he could around the room, catching all the soot and sweeping it out the door with his wings.  He closed the door and leaned up against it, trying to force a smile.

“And, well, John, this is my mom, Miss Ella.”

“Miss Ella? Gerald, you didn’t tell me your mama is THE Lady Ella. Oh, I’m a big fan!  My daddy plays your music all the time. You’re the queen of our nest Miss Ella! 

“Pleasure to meet you John Cole Crane. I know your daddy.  He’s a great sax player. Why we played together back in the day. How’s he doing?”

“He’s great, ma’am. Wait ‘til I tell him I met you!”  

Ella looked up at the elephant clock on the wall with a trunk for the hour hand and an arm for the minute hand.

“Well we can talk more when I see you later,” said Miss Ella. “But now you two need to get going or you’ll be late for rehearsal.”   

“Yes ma’am. Good-bye ma’am. I mean, thank you ma’am!” said John. He let out a little cough and a cloud of ash came out of his mouth. His face turned red and opened the door.

“It will be alright, John,” said Miss Ella. “I think you’ll find that mojo of yours deep down inside.”

“Pardon me, Ma’am?” asked John.

“I’m saying, don’t worry. You’ll find it, baby,” Miss Ella said.

As Gerald followed John out the door he heard his mama humming a familiar song. A really familiar song…

"That's Where Your Mojo Is" Part II

Welcome back! If you have not read Part I from last week, be sure to read that first. Elephant Gerald wishes his Mama, Miss Ella, a happy Mother's Day...and to all you great mom's out there too!

 

ELEPHANT GERALD'S morning was turned upside down when John Cole Crane fell out of the sky and landed in his trunk. He had been on his way to meet Django Rhinoceros and Billie Goat Holiday. The friends had formed a jazz band, and they got to practice at Miss Kitty’s Playce, a gathering spot at the end of the river walk in their town of Little Moon. Animals from all around came to play and listen to music. Since Gerald’s mama, Miss Ella, was a famous singer, Gerald and his friends got to practice their music at Miss Kitty’s Playce. But it was something called ‘mojo’ that was on Gerald’s mind at that moment.

“Now how am I gonna’ find my mojo, Gerald? I been lookin’ high and low for it all morning. Lookin’ high for it didn’t quite work out,” John Cole Crane said. He rubbed the bump on his head where the saxophone landed.

“I’ve heard about this mojo thing,” said Elephant Gerald. “My mama says I’m absent minded, but I’m sure I’ll know it when I see it. And I have my lucky pouch around my neck that will help us find it!”

“What’s in that little bag?” asked John.

“My daddy gave me this old leather pouch before I even remember him. It has his lucky rock, some Cajun spices, and other little things for good luck.”

“Well I’ll take whatever luck you got,” said John. “If I can’t find my mojo my sax goes lax.”

“Your sax goes lax?” asked Gerald.

“My wind die down.”

“Your groove don’t move?”

“My shimmy don’t shake.”

“Well..my trunk don’t trump.”

“And, my feathers don’t fly.”

“My floppy ears don’t flap.”

“My soul don’t sound.”

“My flubber don’t blubber.”

“My hips won’t hop,” Gerald and John Cole Crane both shook their hips.

“My head won’t bop,” they bobbed their heads up and down.

“My shimmy won’t shake,” their behinds shook. “And that’s more than I can take!” Gerald and John nearly fell to the ground laughing.

“I’m going to help you find that mojo, Johnny bird. We’re going to Miss Kitty’s Playce at the end of the river walk. My friends in the band will help us find it.”

John looked at Gerald in surprise, “Well, brotha’ that’s where I’M playin’ tomorrow! You reckon I’m supposed to be jammin’ with YOUR band?”

“Well, I reckon you’re right,” said Elephant Gerald excitedly.

 “I mean to say I WAS playin’! I can’t play without my mojo.”

“Well then let’s start looking on our way there,” Gerald said. “I sure hope I don’t step on it!”

As John Cole Crane was hopping and flying in and out of bushes, his new friend, Elephant Gerald was sniffing the ground, wondering if mojo smelled like peanuts.

“Not here…not there…” John called out as he looked through the bushes.

From behind a curtain of Spanish moss they heard a loud crack of a branch and the ground shook like an earthquake. Something big and ominous was getting closer. John jumped from one skinny leg to another.

“Maybe that’s my mojo!” John shouted. “Were y’at mojo?”

John was so excited that he flipped up on one wing, somersaulted into the air, and landed on the bridge of Gerald’s trunk. He was eye to eye with Gerald.

“I didn’t know my mojo was THAT big!”

Gerald raised his trunk in surprise as John Cole Crane danced up and down his trunk in a crazy feathered frenzy.

“Ummm, Johnny bird I’m not sure that’s you’re mojo. It doesn’t sound like it would fit in your saxophone, buddy.”

The sound of the approaching mojo was growing louder and louder. John’s happy dancing turned to panic. He flew to one of Gerald’s ears, folded himself up, and rolled himself in the ear…right to the top of Gerald’s head like a window blind snapping up. Gerald’s eyes followed the crane, looking cross-eyed at the top of his head.

From out of the woods a big rhinoceros came crashing onto the path. He skidded as if making an entrance on a surf board, stopping right in front of Gerald. He had a guitar slung over his back on a large rhino-sized guitar strap. Elephant Gerald let out a big laugh, his horn wailed a note that shook John Cole Crane.

“Ith at mah moho?” John was wound up tighter than a burrito and could hardly move his beak in the big elephant ear.

Django looked up and in a deep voice said, “Hey Gerald, what’s with the talking ear?”

“Oh nothing. Just a saxophone playing crane who lost his mojo.”

Gerald shook his head until John rolled out and flopped to the ground.  He landed right at Django’s feet. Django stepped back and looked John up and down.  John was shaking like a leaf.

“Django, this is my new friend, John Cole Crane. John this is Django Rhinoceros, my favorite jazz guitar player,” Gerald said proudly. “John just sort of…well…he dropped out of the sky.”

Django nodded his head real slow. In a deep soft spoken voice he said, “Well! Hi-Ho John Cole Crane! I see you got a sax with you. You coming to jam with us?”

“No, I don’t think so.” John said sadly.

 “Johnny bird lost his mojo and we can’t find it anywhere.”

Django looked puzzled. “Oh, I, ummm…haven’t seen any kind of mojo thing around this morning. But I can help y’all look.”

“Mighty kind of ya’ Django,” said John. “I ain’t ever had this kinda’ help for anything!”

John walked with his new friends down the path to Missy Kitty’s Playce. John, never one to hold his excitement, hopped from one leg to the other and could barely control the urge to squawk! He just knew that with more help he would find his lost mojo and play the saxophone again.

 

Come back next Sunday for Part III of "That's Where Your Mojo Is." And remember to 'Join this site' for automatic updates!