We had several correct answers to our October’s What Is It. The items pictured are musical instruments called ocarinas. Richard White of Thornton, Colorado points out that the ocarina dates back to the 19th century in Bologna, Italy. The word ocarina means “little goose.” “As a former teacher, I know Ocarinas are still used today in elementary schools.”
Other readers who correctly guessed our October What Is It are William McLaren of Anchorage, Alaska; Elizabeth Puls of Boulder, Colorado (Elizabeth adds, “The sound of the ocarina comes from the interior resonating chamber and is somewhat similar to a simple flute or recorder, but is an ovoid shape as opposed to a long cylinder.”); Loene McIntyre of Fort Collins, Colorado (Thank you for your kind words, Loene.); Susan Thode of Broomfield, Colorado who says that sometimes this instrument is called a sweet potatoe. And, Keith Yahn of Littleton, Colorado agrees that the ocarina is sometimes called the sweet potatoe.
Thank you, everyone. You have all won a year’s subscription to the Mountain States Collector!
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