Counting cabbages
Penelope Smith
Magriet Brink
English
Mama K has been harvesting cabbages all week. Doobie, Maya and Duksie help Mama K in her vegetable garden on Saturday mornings.
Today the children are going to help with counting and packing the cabbages. Then Baba K will take boxes of cabbages to sell at the market.
Today the children are going to help with counting and packing the cabbages. Then Baba K will take boxes of cabbages to sell at the market.
The taxi drops off the children at the garden gate. They can see the huge heap of cabbages piled up near Baba K's old truck.
"Yo! What a lot of cabbages!" says Maya pointing. "There must be a thousand cabbages there!" laughs Duksie. "No way! Two hundred at the most!" disagrees Doobie.
"Yo! What a lot of cabbages!" says Maya pointing. "There must be a thousand cabbages there!" laughs Duksie. "No way! Two hundred at the most!" disagrees Doobie.
Mama K is waiting at the gate. "Hello everyone, I'm happy to see you!" she greets the children.
"Now let's get to work. You'll need to count the cabbages and put them into boxes, 12 cabbages in each box. I have 20 boxes. Two of you can each pack 7 boxes and one of you can pack 6 boxes."
"Now let's get to work. You'll need to count the cabbages and put them into boxes, 12 cabbages in each box. I have 20 boxes. Two of you can each pack 7 boxes and one of you can pack 6 boxes."
The children stand around the pile of cabbages. They talk about different ways to count the cabbages.
"I think I will count mine in 2s," Maya says.
"I like counting in 4s," says Duksie, "it's quicker."
"I'm going to count in 3s, just to be different!" pipes up Doobie.
"I think I will count mine in 2s," Maya says.
"I like counting in 4s," says Duksie, "it's quicker."
"I'm going to count in 3s, just to be different!" pipes up Doobie.
Soon the children have filled 20 boxes. "Good work!" exclaims Mama K. "Look, there are some cabbages left over. My pigs love cabbages so let's share these with them," she suggests.
"How many cabbages did you pack into boxes? How many cabbages were left over?" she asks the children.
"How many cabbages did you pack into boxes? How many cabbages were left over?" she asks the children.
The next job is to write the price on each box and then help Baba K load the boxes on his truck.
They must put half the boxes on one side of the truck and half on the other side, to balance the load.
They must put half the boxes on one side of the truck and half on the other side, to balance the load.
"We're almost done!" says Baba K. "Let's see, how many more boxes we must still put on each side to balance the load?"
Soon all 20 boxes are loaded onto the truck. Baba K warms up the engine and drives off to market.
"If I can sell all the boxes," he thinks to himself, "I'll have enough money to fix the pig pen and get a surprise for the children!"
"If I can sell all the boxes," he thinks to himself, "I'll have enough money to fix the pig pen and get a surprise for the children!"
Back at the farm, Mama K and the children water plants and rake leaves. By twelve o'clock they are all tired.
Mama K tells them, "It's time for your treat. Can you guess what I have for you today?"
Mama K tells them, "It's time for your treat. Can you guess what I have for you today?"
She goes inside to fetch their surprise. The children wait patiently for her to return while they guess what she might bring them.
When she comes down the path her apron pockets are bulging!
When she comes down the path her apron pockets are bulging!
"Let's see if you guessed right! What's in store for you today?" Mama K tips out her apron pockets and a pile of apples falls onto the table.
"See, I was right!" Duksie squeals.
Mama K tells the children, "Now remember the rule. Share fair! No one to get more or less than the other!"
"See, I was right!" Duksie squeals.
Mama K tells the children, "Now remember the rule. Share fair! No one to get more or less than the other!"
First the children count the apples in 2s.
They count: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 1 apple left over. Altogether there are 17 apples.
They count: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 1 apple left over. Altogether there are 17 apples.
Next, they share out the apples equally. There are 2 apples left over.
The children then put their apples in their bags to take home. How many does each child get?
The children then put their apples in their bags to take home. How many does each child get?
"Let's cut the 2 apples to share between us," suggests Duksie.
"How many parts of the apple will we each get?" asks Maya.
"I know the answer!" smiles Doobie.
"How many parts of the apple will we each get?" asks Maya.
"I know the answer!" smiles Doobie.
Just then Baba K arrives home from market. The truck is empty and Baba K is smiling.
"I sold all the cabbages. Now I can fix the pig pen and buy you that soccer ball you wanted.
"Yay!" shout the children."
"I sold all the cabbages. Now I can fix the pig pen and buy you that soccer ball you wanted.
"Yay!" shout the children."
You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way:
Counting cabbages
Author - Penelope Smith
Illustration - Magriet Brink
Language - English
Level - Longer paragraphs
Illustration - Magriet Brink
Language - English
Level - Longer paragraphs
© African Storybook Initiative 2016
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org
