The whistler cometh...

So I was at this lady's house to take her Mauthe wall clock's movement
home with me to fix and I'd almost gotten away clean when she said,
"Wait."

I knew this meant trouble and it was.  She handed me this wood carving
of a guy leaning against a lamp post.  "He whistles," said she, "but not
lately.  Can you fix him?"

So he went in the movement bin with the Mauthe.  He had a key sticking
out of his back, and no place for batteries.  Yet he whistles.  Hokay,
I thought.

Finally got started on him today, at least to the extent of opening
his back cover, and holy smoke -- he whistles a tune using a
double-action bellows air pump with a spring-loaded reservoir to even
out the air flow.  This blows across what is essentially a brass
slide-whistle whose pitch is changed by a cam barely visible in the
photograph, and the duration of each note is controlled by another cam
in there somewhere.  Another cam moves a linkage to turn his head as
he's whistling; apparently there's only one tune, currently
unrecognizable.

Everything is brass and steel; no plastic anywhere, and I'm guessing
that he just needs a cleaning.  Suffice it to say that I am terrified
of messing up this amazing little thing, and any advice would be
welcome.  (Also posted at the NAWCC clock repair forum, because I need
all the help I can get.)

Mark Kinsler - humbled once again.

 [   The whistler guy (front)
 [ http://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/17/12/07/171207_142154_whistler%20guy%20back.jpg 

 [   The whistler guy's movement
 [ http://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/17/12/07/171207_142154_whistler%20guy%20movement1.jpg