Chantal's Chiming Caper
High Time for Singing!
Disclaimer: All the characters, except Chantal Goya, who is a real-life French children's singer, belong to Herge. By the way, Belge FM DOES NOT EXIST!
It was a lovely spring morning at Marlinspike Hall. The small radio in Tintin's bedroom, however, scared the magpie, that had stolen Castafiore's emerald, from its perch on the tree near the window from which Tintin's beloved terrier, Snowy, noticed the magpie fleeing and started barking. Tintin wasn't paying attention, though. His concentration was fixed on his radio, which was playing a song that had made him go overcome with emotion. He smiled and blushed slightly as the singer joyfully sang the lyrics of the song that had flattered him deeply. In fact, the song is about him. It might be a children's song, but it's still about him and Snowy.
"Il n'y en a qu'un sur terre, gentil comme Tintin, malin comme Tintin...C'est lui, le plus grand des reporters, avec son petite chien si drole, qui court comme Tintin(some dog masquerading as Snowy barks, "Wooah wooah wooah!"), Tintin et Milou**, en s'entend bien*!"
The song is called, "Comme Tintin" (In English, it's "Just like Tintin") by a French singer called Chantal Goya, who made songs about people in Fiction World, who are just as famous as he was, such as Becassine, Popeye and many others. She would have just been like Italian children's singer, Cristina D'Avena***, except that Chantal alone made a song for Tintin.
Anyway, back to the tale, Tintin listened raptly to Chantal, as she extolled his virtues through her song and many thoughts ran around in his mind. If only she knew how special and grateful she made him feel for that song. If only she knew that he was more humble than her description of him in the lyrics and how much he longed to repay her for this little favour..."Wooah! Wooah!" Snowy barked him back into reality, thinking, "That dog in the song hardly sounds like me at all! Huh! Chantal could have let me sing in her song!" Tintin laughed as he understood what Snowy was thinking, "I know, old boy, but who knows, maybe we'd meet Madame Goya someday."
"Thundering typhoons, Tintin, are you listening to that baby anthem about us again?" Captain Haddock smiled through his bushy black beard, as he entered Tintin's room. Tintin just shrugged his shoulders casually. The Captain always called "Comme Tintin" their "baby anthem". But he liked it all the same. He especially boasted about the fact that he was included, along with Calculus and the Thompsons, while sympathizing with Nestor, who wasn't included and losing his temper at the fact that Castafiore is there too, as well as having sung a few tunes herself in the song.
"Well, Captain," said Tintin, "It's the fifth time this week that they have played it on Belge FM at many children's requests." The Captain started laughing very loudly,"Not only children, m'boy! Not only children!" Tintin squirmed uncomfortably all of a sudden at this mockery, "What do you mean?" Snowy whined questioningly at Haddock, who winked slyly at his young friend. He replied, "Nestor told me yesterday that he caught you near the stairs, phoning the radio station for a request to play it whole day long! It's true, isn't it?"
Tintin blushed as he blurted, "Yes, I did." Then, rather defiantly, he added, "Don't you think we ought to be grateful for what she did for us? That's the exact reason, you know." Haddock was about to voice his opinion on Tintin's feelings for song and singer, when the bell rang. "I'll get it!" Nestor said as he raced to the front door.
Captain Haddock tried to speak again, "Well, I..." when Nestor's voice rang out again, "Special visitor for Mr. Tintin!"
"One moment, Nestor," Tintin called back. He turned to Haddock, "Shall we go see who it is?" "All right, then, " the Captain said. "Come, Snowy, "Tintin gestured to Snowy to come with them and he switched off the radio. Then the three of them went down the stairs to see who had come to visit them. When they entered the sitting room, however...
"Great snakes!" Tintin gasped.
"Blue blistering barnacles!" Captain Haddock yelled in shock.
Snowy yapped with delight and ran up to the visitor, who was none other than Chantal Goya herself!
"Why, it's Madame Goya!" Tintin exclaimed with surprised delight, "The Captain and I were just listening to your song about us on the radio a few minutes ago!"
Chantal Goya smiled impishly at the reddish-blond reporter. She was a brunette with blonde streaks in her fringed shoulder-length hair. She bent down to pat Snowy, saying, "Hello there, Snowy." Then, she got up from her seat to shake hands with both men. "Well, you both look better than I've ever known! Even my niece keeps talking about you!" Tintin and Haddock blushed; this singer was really going to cut a dash with them!
"Anyway", Chantal continued, "I came here with an offer for Tintin. Would you like to be part of the music video I'm making for my, or in this case, our song?"
Tintin drew his breath in sharply, "Crumbs! Are you sure?" Haddock was surprised, "Ten thousand thundering typhoons, Tintin, you've never done acting of any sort before!"
"Don't worry, I know just how to help you," Chantal smiled kindly, "I'm sure it will be fine. So what do you say?" Tintin started to think. He thought, "Hey! This will give me an opportunity to express my gratitude for this song!" He answered, "All right then. When do we start?"
Captain Haddock looked relieved at the decision as he said, "Could we come too?" "Of course! I'm sure Nestor would like to come too," Chantal looked apologetically at a flabbergasted Nestor. He said, "Well, if Madame Goya insists, I may."
At that moment, Professor Calculus entered the room. Tintin immediately said, "Madame Goya-" Chantal interrupted, "Call me Chantal." Tintin stared abashedly at her before saying, "Er...Chantal, you might know Professor Calculus?" Chantal immediately got up to greet him, but Calculus spoke first, "Why, it's little Chantal Goya! How good to see you in here! Well, if you must excuse me, I may go to my lab." And off he went.
Chantal watched him go, then laughed, "Never mind, I'll get to know him better some time." "So, Tintin", she turned to the reporter,"This is the plan. You, Snowy and the Captain, with Nestor, shall come to my address..." she handed him a card, "...Where I shall meet you all and go to the studio in Antwerp together."
Then she surprised him, "Oh, by the way, could I borrow your yellow shirt, which you wore before the signature blue sweater you wear now?"
"What?" Tintin was embarassed, "I mean...I grew out of that shirt years ago!" "Never mind, I want it. In fact, I'm going to have it sewn back to your shirt size and have another made for me." "You? You're going to wear an identical shirt?''
"Blistering barnacles, woman, what's so shirty?" Captain Haddock asked, as amazed as Tintin was. "In the song", Chantal explained, "The only adventures I sang about were in the Congo and Chicago. In both adventures, you wore the same shirt...yellow." Tintin thought for a while again and then replied, "By all means, then and I'll also give you another shirt of mine, so that you can have measurements too. I must have it somewhere..." He ran up the stairs.
Chantal smiled brightly as she watched him go, then smiled at Haddock, who asked her nervously, "If you don't mind me asking...is Bianca Castafiore going to sing too?" "Oh no, she is on tour, so she won't. She left me a soundtrack for the song," Chantal comforted him.
"Brilliant!" Haddock smiled.
The next chapter awaits!