STORY: PRICILLA- MY BEST FRIEND
I loved Pricilla. She was my best friend. We spent all our time together; at work, at
play and at home. We lived on Pollys’ Cocoa Farm. We slept in the same stall in the stable.
First thing each morning we would wake up, get ready for work and start off on our day’s
adventure. Then, on evenings after work we would meet and discuss how we spent our day.
We never noticed that we were different- Pricilla a donkey and me, a mule. We only knew
that we were friends and that we loved each other and that was that!
Last Friday our mistress woke us up earlier than usual and she told us, “Today, the
weather is not going to be good. A storm is coming so we need to hurry to get to the cocoa
fields to finish harvesting!” Priscilla hated storms so she jumped up and started to
immediately prepare for her trip up the mountain. She wanted to get to the cocoa fields as
early as she could so she could return home before the storm arrived. All she could think
about was the frightening thunder and its effect on her. Whenever the thunder cracked, she
would start trembling and sometimes she would freeze or she would become so scared that
she would start running towards our home.
So when Miss Polly said that the storm was coming, Pricilla stood still and allowed
her to place the blanket on her back. Then the sambua was placed on top of the blanket and
the two panniers that usually hung on the sides of the sambua were attached. Inside one of
these panniers, Miss Polly placed her lunch of roast bake and pumpkin. Immediately
afterwards, they left the stable and started walking along the meandering trail that led up the
mountain side to the cocoa fields.
Normally as they journeyed up the mountain, Pricilla would enjoy the view. She could
always be seen looking around at the animals that would be scurrying around under the trees
and shrubs. Just last week; she saw howler monkeys swinging across the balata trees. But
this morning, she could not focus on these sights – the parrots flying across the skies,
monkeys scampering up the Brazil Nut tree and the macajuel settling down under the fallen
mango tree.
This morning, all Pricilla could think about was, “A storm is coming! I want to go
back home!” As Pricilla and Miss Polly walked up the trail, she did not notice that the
mountain side became steeper and the trail got narrower and narrower. At times, the trail was
so narrow that it could have been possible to slip off the trail and go sliding down the
mountainside, never to found again.
At last, they reached the cocoa fields. Once they got there, Miss Polly tied Pricilla to
the plum tree. This was one of Pricilla’s favorite spots in the cocoa field. After tying
Pricilla, Miss Polly took out her cocoa knife and started to harvest the cocoa pods. The cocoa
pods fell splotch, splotch, splotch onto the thick, moist, leaf-littered floor of the cocoa field.
Then Miss Polly came back and cracked the pods open, removed the cocoa beans and placed
them in a heap at the bottom of the silk cotton tree. She then cut banana leaves and carefully
covered the heap of cocoa beans. All morning Miss Polly worked. She only stopped to eat
her roast bake with pumpkin and drink some of the cold, refreshing spring water that emerged
from the side of the mountain.
As Miss Polly worked, Pricilla continue to worry about the storm. Pricilla thought
about the awful, frightening thunder that was so loud and made her heart beat so quickly that
she could not think. She never noticed the fat, yellow, juicy plums that were within her
reach; the plums that she enjoyed eating. She could only think about the thunder. Suddenly,
she heard it, “BBOOMM!” The sound of the cracking thunder was like a cannon being
discharged. Pricilla jumped up and started running. All she could think about was reaching
home before it got worse. When Miss Polly came to get her, all she saw was the rope
attached to the tree …
Inky Pinky Ponky
We will now recite:
Inky pinky ponky
Polly had a donkey
Donkey died
Polly cried
Inky pinky ponky
Ah Tie Meh Donkey On Top Ah De Hill
Ah tie meh donkey on top ah de hill
An if he eh dead he dey
Ah tie meh donkey on top ah de hill
An if he dead he dey
Meanings of words used in this story
Panier – basket
Sambua – wooden frame that is attached to the body of a beast of burden and used to hang
the paniers (baskets)
KAREN RAMDAHIN-NANDARAM
CURRICULUM OFFICER, AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE CURRICULUM WRITING
TEAM 2013