I arrived back in Madrid from Edinburgh on Tuesday. My mother and I went to spend two weeks there with my grandparents and also saw my cousin Inés and her mother and father. It was very nice. When we got to Edinburgh, we had lots of books waiting for us. One of these books was George and Martha, the Complete Stories of Two Best Friends, by James Marshall. It is very very funny and I like that it is funny for children and grown-ups too.
In one of the stories in the collection George and Martha Back in Town, called The Box, Martha is so nosy she can't help opening a box with a sign that says DO NOT OPEN. "Out jumped George's entire collection of Mexican jumping beans. 'Oh my stars,' said Martha."
After reading it, I asked my grandfather if Mexican jumping beans really existed. 'Oh yes,' he said. I couldn't imagine how a bean could jump, and I immediately thought of a question for the blog:
How and when do Mexican jumping beans jump?
A bit later, my grandfather found this interesting video on Youtube. It actually shows the jumping beans jumping and lets you see the caterpillar larva inside them that explains how they jump.
This other video explains some interesting facts about Mexican jumping beans too and explains a little about when they jump. It seems that they jump when the larvas see or feel a lot of light and what they are trying to do is look for shade.
My second question for today I thought of this morning. My parents have been reading me lots of chapter books recently. Roald Dahl is one of my favourite writers. I like all his books but I'm especially fond of The Witches and The BFG (as you can see in this other post). I also have some of the films based on the books. The Witches is one of them. While my mother was doing some work this morning after breakfast, I decided to watch The Witches and as soon as it started and I heard the music, I thought of another question for the blog.
How does music make us feel danger?
Seconds 24-30 gave me a feel of danger and I wondered how it was done. Then I thought that music can also make us feel happy or sad, excited or nervous. But how? I listened to the music again and it seems to be that to make us feel the danger the music goes lower and has a long note at the back DUMMMMMMMMMM. And then, when the danger stops it goes higher and quicker, and lighter.
Do you know any music that makes you feel other ways? Maybe happy or maybe sad or maybe excited? How does the music do it, do you think?
