National Adult Literacy Database

June 11, 2001

This week, we are launching three stories written by students from Taber, Alberta. As a special event you can read their stories as well as hear them.

The Taber & District Adult Literacy Program began in 1987. The program is located in the Provincial Building in Taber, Alberta. Taber is a small community of approximately 7700 residents. This small community is agriculture and oil industry based. Taber is also known all over Alberta and Canada as the Corn Capital of Canada. Today, the Taber & District Adult Literacy Program offers a variety of programs to improve reading and writing skills. Some of the programs offered are one-on-one tutoring, group tutoring, family literacy, English As A Second Language classes and Books For Babes. We currently have 60 students and 33 tutors in our program.

The following story was written by Madeline Proulx, from Taber, Alberta. Madeline was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and when she was 10 years old, she and her family moved to a farm near Vancouver. While living on the farm her love for animals grew stronger. Her mother never knew what kind of animal to expect when Madeline came home from yet another adventure. She became a learner in the Taber & District Literacy Program in June of 2000. She then attended ESL classes through the winter months. Madeline now shares her love of animals with her granddaughter, Brooklyn, who is 2 years old. Brooklyn is her pride and joy! This story is for her. Grandma loves you!

 

Play an audio version of this story

Untitled

by Madeline Proulx

Madeline was 12 years old. She lives on a farm on Vancouver Island near the city of Victoria. She lived with her mom and dad. Madeline did not have any brothers or sisters. Her playmates were the farm animals.

Her 2 horses Penny and Lightening were her best friends. Sometimes she would ride Lightening to the lake where he liked to splash in the water. Madeline and Lightening would also ride together into the mountains. Up the path they would go, passing big evergreen trees.

The birds would be singing and a nearby creek gurgled. Deer lived in the forest by they were shy so Madeline and Lightening saw them only once in a while.

Sometimes Madeline and Lightening would lie down on the green grass on the side of the highway. Madeline would pretend to play dead. People would stop their cars and come to see if Madeline and Lightening were ok. Lightening would lie very still. Madeline would pop her head up just as the people would come over to see if she was all right.

In the summertime Madeline would wake up at 5 o'clock in the morning to do her chores. Madeline would put her jacket and boots on. It would be raining outside. She would walk to the barn to go feed some hay and grain to Lightening and Penny.

When it was winter, Madeline would have to walk 2 miles to carry hot water to the trough. The trough was so icy inside Madeline had to put hot water over the ice so it would melt.

One morning when Madeline was doing her chores she heard a strange noise. On the other side of the railroad she saw a small goat. After pulling her out of the ice where she had been stuck, Madeline brought her to the house and dried her off. Madeline took good care of her new pet. One day she went to the barn to see how her little goat was doing. Madeline was surprised to see that she had given birth to 3 little goats.

They grew quickly. Too soon Madeline had to say goodbye to 2 of her goats. The one she kept was very small but she was a handful. That little goat got into so much trouble!

One morning Madeline's mother went to the garden. She went to pick some peas. When she bent over, Madeline's goat butted her right in the behind. Madeline's mother was not happy. She chased the little goat with a broom all around the garden.

Madeline's goat finally decided it was time to return to the barn. Her mother finished the garden chores and headed back to the house to prepare dinner. The afternoon sun shone gently across the yard. Summer was Madeline's favorite season.