May 19, 1997
These three stories were written by learners at the Literacy Society of South Muskoka, in Gravenhurst, Ontario : Alma Traviss, Richard Moore and Rosemary Frampton.
Alma Traviss has been a student at the Literacy Society of South Muskoka for four years. She likes to knit, sew, and do other crafts. Alma is determined to complete her education. This is a true story from Alma's life.
SKUNK
A skunk is in my house. O dear, what will I do? It was so funny when it was all over. At the time, it was scary. This is what happened. I had a brainstorm to build an underground woodshed so the hole was dug in the ground and we could go through from the basement. We were going to do the walls with rocks and cement blocks. The roof was all that was to be out of the ground.
At the time the skunk got in, the shed was just a hole in the ground. I heard a noise in the basement. I went to the top of the stairs and started down. There was a skunk! Very quietly I came back up.
How do you get a skunk out of your house?! Well, this is what I did. I went to the fridge and got out some chicken. I went out the back door and around to the front door and opened it. By this time the skunk was in the rec-room. I put the chicken on the floor and left the door open and some more chicken all the way out to the lawn. When the noise was gone, I tiptoed downstairs to see if the skunk was gone. He was, He did not spray, but he had his crap on the floor. It was an awful smell.
We finished the woodshed. It held a lot of wood. That was the end of the skunk.
Richard Moore is retired and lives in Gravenhurst. For many years he worked at Clevelands House resort and tells some of his experiences in his story. Richard likes to walk about town and is a keen observer of local history and happenings.
MY YEARS AT CLEVELAND'S HOUSE 1954-1990'S
I started at Cleveland's House in the year 1954. My first boss was Mr. Wright. The first thing I did was work in the kitchen doing dishes. I worked in the storehouse unloading the trucks with the food and I prepared the food for the cook to cook it.
I did the yard work like weeding and a lot of other things. I really liked the place to work; it is right on the waterfront. I liked working with all the staff. I liked getting paid - $150.00 a month. I started working at 8 a. m. - 4:30 p. m.
The bears were living in the woods. The bears were living on berries and other things. One day I was taking out the garbage to the box. I found a bear in the box. She walked out of the box and looked at me. I thought, "Oh Brother!" Another time I saw a mother bear coming out of the box. She stopped and looked back at me and said, "My babies are in the box. Let them out." Father Bear weighs 800 lbs. I opened the box and two babies ran out to mother.
I really miss the hotel.
Rosemary Frampton has lived in Canada all her life and now lives in Muskoka, Ontario. She enjoys the outdoors and likes to write about it. She had a short story published in the Spring '96 Newsletter of the Literacy Society of South Muskoka.
THE FARMER
The farmer's name was Jack, and his wife's name was Ruth. "I am going out to the field for a while to do some plowing," Jack said.
Ruth said, "O. K."
Jack did all the sowing. He got it all done before the sun went down. Then Jack came home and he got cleaned up for supper.
The time sure flew by and the harvest was ready to come in before he knew it. Then he noticed that something wasn't right. He hadn't planted the corn that his wife had given him. Ruth and Jack and their family were going to use the corn for food in the winter.
Jack found the corn seed in the pocket of his overalls and he showed his wife the reason why it hadn't got planted. Jack was upset that he didn't complete planting the crops because his family would go hungry in the winter.
The couple, Mr. and Mrs. Barns, up the road from them gave them a call.
"How would you like half of our crop of corn? We have got more than my wife and I will ever use."
Ruth said, "Looks like someone is looking after us."