Seleke Loses the Bucket

One day there was a girl named Seleke. She lived in a house with her mother, not at the bottom of a cliff, and not at the top, but right in the middle. Below the cliff lived Ugly Giants, and above lived Snarling Wolves.

Seleke's house was very simple. She did not have things like electricity for lights, or television, or the internet. No water pipes came to her house. Instead they kept water in a big water barrel by the side of the house. Today the water barrel was empty.

Seleke's mother said, "Today you must learn how to get water."

Seleke's family used water for all sorts of things! They used it for cooking, and for washing their hands, and to take baths, and even for flushing away their poop and pee. Without water they would get very thirsty, and very dirty.

"We only have one bucket.", said Seleke's mother, "Take the bucket, and take this rope."

Seleke and her mother walked to the edge of the cliff. It was the rainy season. Dark clouds hovered above, and the ground was very muddy. "Squish squish." said their shoes as they walked.

When they reached the cliff edge they both got down on their bellies and together they peaked over.

"Look down there," said Seleke's mother, "do you see that waterfall?"

"Yes mom," said Seleke, "I see it way below us, gushing out of the cliff."

"That is where we get our water. Be careful to hold on tight to the rope - the force of the water can pull the bucket pretty hard."

Seleke tied the rope to her bucket. Then she lowered the bucket over the edge of the cliff (make the motions of doing this). Down and down it went. Soon, the bucket was near the waterfall. A bit more, and the water was gushing into the bucket.

Seleke nearly lost her hold on the rope! (make the motions) The bucket slipped, but Seleke grabbed tight to the rope. The bucket was full, and became very heavy. Seleke struggled to hold on. With all her strength she pulled the bucket up and up. (make the motions)

Suddenly the rope became slack. Seleke's knot had come loose. The bucket plunged downward, lost.

Seleke began to cry.

"That was our only bucket!" cried Seleke's mother. "How will we get our water now?"

"Mom, if you lower me down on the rope I can get the bucket back." Seleke said through her tears.

"No, that is too dangerous." said her mother as she hugged Seleke in comfort, "You might slip, or be eaten by an Ugly Giant."

Seleke knew her mother was right. To make things even worse, thunder rumbled and it started to rain. Wind blew from the sea, sending the rain against the cliff.

Seleke and her mother walked back to their house. The rain mixed with Seleke's tears.

When they got inside their clothing was wet all through. They made a fire and hung their clothes up to dry. Drip, drip, drip the water droplets fell onto the bricks of the hearth, making little puddles.

Seleke had an idea.

The next morning Seleke went out early and walked to a part of the cliff made of slate. Slate is a very flat rock like a pancake. You might have seen slate up on rooves. Seleke collected as much slate as she could.

Soon it began to rain. Seleke saw that the rain water was running down the cliff face above her house. Seleke arranged her pieces of slate like this (make a bowl with your hands) into the shape of a great big bowl called a cistern. Then she made slate gutters (make a V with your hands) so that the water from the entire cliff face would run down and collect in the cistern.

Before long the cistern was full of rain water.

Seleke showed her mom, who said, "What a smart daughter I have! I am so proud of you."

And that is how Seleke lost their only water bucket.

The End
(c) 2008 Ken Demarest