My grandpa lives in the village, away from my home in town. He lives on a farm. There are many cattle on the farm and some of them are fierce. They chase after people and hit them to the ground but they don’t chase after grandpa. There are also many chickens, goats and sheep on grandpa’s farm. Many people come to buy chickens, milk and eggs on the farm.
One time many chickens on grandpa’s farm died so fast. A man dressed in a white coat and white boots, on a motorcycle with a box said that they had suffered from a strange disease but grandpa didn’t notice early enough. If he had taken time, he should have noticed blood in the chickens’ poop and known they were ill. Grandpa said this man was the animal doctor.
A short time after the chickens had died, the cattle followed. They had very big feet and mouths. Grandpa said they were swollen, and that they had a disease. The animal doctor said they had the foot and mouth disease but grandpa didn’t have enough money to buy the needed drugs.
Before long, famine struck the village. Grandpa managed to save only one cow – Ichuri – and no matter the famine, he refused to sell it. He sold all his goats and sheep and the chickens too, leaving just one chicken whose name is Chickie. He and all the people on the farm suffered from hunger day in, day out but he kept Chickie and Ichuri, the cow.
A month later, Chickie started laying eggs. Grandpa immediately brought a male chicken from his neighbour’s house. It mounted Chickie, and she started hatching her eggs. After that, Grandpa had so many chickens on his farm again. About a year later, Ichuri also had a baby. Grandpa said her baby was called a calf. Because grandpa sacrificed, his farm now has many chickens and cows. Grandpa is very happy once again. He has managed to buy goats and sheep from the money he gets from selling milk, eggs and chickens.
There is enough food on the farm and everyone is happy. I love visiting grandpa’s farm now. I love working on the farm and listening to grandpa’s stories.
Read The Dance Competition – Children’s Story by Immaculate S. Ajiambo, Kenya
Heart warming story.
That is a nice story. But the noun “chickens”? I find it queer especially to the young ones.