This is Thato.

He is at school in Siyabuswa, South Africa.

He is the tallest in his class.

Thato lives with his older sister in a friendly neighbourhood.

His sister's name is Ntombi.

Ntombi is not feeling well today. She cannot go out for groceries, so Thato will have to help.

Ntombi gives Thato a list and tells him where to go.

Thato's List:
1 bottle of water from the well,
2 bags of flour from the farmer,
3 loaves of bread from the shop,
4 eggs from Junior's Gogo,
5 bunches of herbs from the garden.

The first stop on his way is to get water. He needs a bucket and a rope to get water from the well.

He can use the shortest rope to reach the water. Which one is the shortest rope?

Thato pours the water into his bottle.

Now he has to get the flour from the farmer.

The farmer is the father of his best friend, Lethabo.

The farmer welcomes Thato. He is trying to catch a chicken for supper. He asks Thato to help him to catch a big chicken.

Which chicken should Thato catch?

Thato is very skilled. He catches the biggest chicken quickly.

The farmer gives him two bags of flour.

Next stop on Thato's journey is the spaza shop. He has to buy the bread there.

"How much bread should I buy? One loaf?" wonders Thato as he checks his shopping list.

There are only three loaves left at the shop!

One loaf is small, one loaf is large, and one loaf is medium.

Thato takes all three loaves.

Thato goes to Junior's Gogo to get eggs.

Gogo says that Thato can have two eggs for free.
Which box should he take?

Thato goes to the garden to collect herbs.

There are a lot of plants and he has to look carefully to cut the right herbs.

He picks five bunches.

Thato carries his groceries in two bags.

Which bag is the bigger of the two?

Thato arrives home with the groceries.

"One bottle of water, two bags of flour, three loaves of bread, six eggs, and five bunches of herbs," counts Thato.

How many things altogether?

Ntombi is proud of Thato. He got everything on the list, and two extra eggs!

Ntombi is feeling better. "Let us make supper," she says to her little brother.