AustLit

A schoolboy, David Fanshawe, is coopted by his father and an unusual 'visitor' into a secret mission to deliver a document to Operator X so that 'total war' might be averted.

Peter Flint suspects that the idle and ignorant farm labourer, George Bricker, is an 'escaped convict'. After Bricker is dismissed from the farm, Peter meets the five Worthing children who are pursuing Bricker, who they suspect has stolen jewelery from their father's store. Together, the six children plot to capture Bricker by tricking him into believing he has suffered a snake bite. Bricker is captured with the necklace, but not before he has set fire to the Flint property.

Upon the death of the Bach parents, Hans Meyer provides a fine collection of clavier music to the Bach sons, Christopher (married) and Sebastian (nine years old). While Christopher denies Sebastian access to the manuscripts, deeming him too young to play such complex music, Sebastian studies secretly at night to prove his musical excellence.

The Chinese Emperor adores the song of the Nightingale. Replaced for some time by an 'artifical nightingale', the Nightingale returns to save the Emperor at his death-bed.

When Beethoven, Bach, Handel, Mendelssohn and an unknown musician argue about who should be honoured in the great new concert hall, Apollo, the god of song and music, is called to adjudicate. Apollo calls on the Nine Muses to assist with choosing the greatest musician. Music, itself, is awarded the greatest honour.