When my great grandma Anna came to America. She wore the same thickcoat and big boots she had worn when she worked on her family's farm.
But her family did not farm anymore. In New York City her fathercarried things on a wagon. The rest of the family made flowers out ofcloth. Everyone was in a hurry and it was so crowded not like backhome in Russia. The only things Anna had from her home in Russia wereher cloths and the “babushka” or head covering she liked to throw upinto the air when she was dancing. The dress she wore was getting toosmall. After her mother had sewn her a new one, Anna gathered her olddress and babushka. She also gathered Uncle Vladimir's old shirt andHavala's old nightgown and an old apron of Aunt Natasha's to make aquilt.
A quilt is a cover for a bed that is made from many pieces of cloth.
“We will make a quilt to help us always remember home,” Anna'smother said, “it will be like having the family in Russia dancearound us at night.” And so it was. Anna's mother invited all thewomen of the family to help make the quilt. They cut the shapes ofanimals and flowers from the pieces of old clothing. The edge of thequilt was made from Anna's babushka. On Friday nights, Anna's motherwould say the prayers that started the Sabbath, the holy day forJewish people. The family ate a bread called hallah and chicken soup.
The quilt was on the table.
Anna grew up and fell in love with my great grandpa Sasha. To showthat he wanted to be her husband, he gave Anna a gold coin, a driedflower and a piece of salt. The gold was for wealth; the flower forlove and the salt so their lives would be strong and interesting. Annawas given the quilt. When they were married Anna and Sasha stood undera traditional hopper made with the quilt. After the wedding, the menand women celebrated separately. When my grandma Carle was born, Annawrapped her baby in a quilt to welcome her warmly into the world.
Carle was given a gift of gold, a flower, salt and bread. Gold, so shewould have money; a flower, so she would always know love; salt, soher life would always be strong and interesting; and bread, so thatshe would never know hunger.
Years later, the quilt again became a wedding hopper. This time forCarle's wedding to my grandpa George. Men and women celebratedtogether but they were not permitted to dance together. Among Carle'swedding flowers were a gold coin, bread and salt. Carle and Georgemoved to a farm in the state of Michigan. And great grandma Anna cameto live with them. A year later, the quilt once again covered a newbaby girl - Merry Allen. Great grandma Anna had grown very old and wassick a lot of the time. The quilt kept her legs warm. When Anna diedher family said prayers to take her to heaven.
My mother Merry Allen was now grown up; when she left home she tookthe quilt with her. When she married, the quilt became her hopper.
Later, the quilt welcomed to me - Patricia into the world. It coveredmy bed. At night I would trace my fingers around the edges of eachanimal on the quilt before I went to sleep. I told my mother storiesabout the animals on the quilt. She told me whose shirt had made thehorse; whose apron had made the chicken; whose dress had made theflowers and whose babushka went around the edge of the quilt.
When I grew up I married Enzo Morrio. Men and women danced together atmy wedding. In my bouquet of flowers were gold, bread and salt and alittle wine so I would always know laughter. Twenty years ago I heldmy daughter Tracy Dennis in the quilt for the first time. Someday shetoo will leave home and she will take the quilt with her.
You have just heard the story "The Keeping Quilt" by Patricia Polacco.
It was adapted into Special English by Karen Leggett. Now listen to astory called "Molly Banicky" by Alice Macgil. Barbara Klein is thestoryteller.
This story begins on a cold grey morning in 1683 in England. MollyWalesh sat on the stool, pulling at the udder of a difficult cow. Shewas a milkmaid. She had to get up very early every morning and go tothe barn to milk the cow. The man who owned the cow, owned the smallhouse where she lived, a much bigger house and all the land around.
The week before the cow had kicked over the container of milk. Thecook had warned Molly that she would be brought before the court ifsomeone suspected she stole the owner's milk. That was the law.
Today, it was cold in the barn. Molly's clothing was thin. She couldhardly work because her hands were so cold. But finally the containerwas full of milk. Suddenly Molly sneezed, the cow jumped, thecontainer fell over and the milk flowed into the damp ground. Laterthat day, Molly stood before the court, accused of stealing the milk.
The usual punishment for stealing was death by hanging. But the lawsaid no one who could read the Bible could be executed for stealing.
So a Bible was given to Molly and her voice ran out clear and true.
Molly's punishment was seven years of forced labor in a Britishcolony. Having no family, Molly Walsh aged 17, said goodbye to Englandand boarded a ship to cross the ocean.
After she arrived in America, Molly worked for a planter on theeastern shore of the colony of Maryland. She cared for her master'stobacco crops. After working for the planter for seven years, Mollywas free to go. The farmer gave her a large animal called an ox and amachine to make the land ready for planting. He also gave her tools,seeds, clothing and a gun. Molly traveled to an area where not manypeople lived and that is where she made her home. That a woman aloneshould take land was unheard of, but the people living near Molly sawthat she was strong. They helped her build a one-room house; theyhelped her harvest her first crop. But Molly soon knew she needed helpworking her land.
One day Molly read an announcement that a ship would be coming soon.
She decided to watch the arrival of this ship, a slave ship fromAfrica. She watched the men walked by, one after the other. She sawthe pain, anger and dishonor on their faces as they were sold intoslavery. Then Molly noticed a tall, wonderful looking man who lookedinto the eyes of everyone who tried to buy him. Molly bought him andtold him she would treat him well and set him free as soon as her farmwas doing well. Molly talked to this man using her hands to tell himabout the land where she was born and of her years as a forced labor.
He smiled at this strange looking woman, he told her his name -Banicky.
Banicky would walk up and down the roads of tobacco. He showed Mollyhow to dig places in the dirt to guide streams of water down the roadsof plants. As the tobacco grew ready to harvest, Molly and Benickygrew to love each other. She signed his freedom papers and a travelingreligious official married them. Molly had broken colonial law bymarrying a black man. But her neighbors accepted this marriage andwelcomed Banicky.
Years passed, Molly and Banicky had four young daughters. They had alarge house and many smaller buildings on 40 hectares of land.
Suddenly, there was a great sadness in the family, Banicky died. Mollyheld her daughters close to her. Then she taught them how to work theland. In time, she had a grandson. In her Bible, Molly wrote her newgrandson's name - Benjamin Picnicker. She taught this young boy toread and write. She told him about his grandfather - the son of a kingin Africa and about her days as a milkmaid across the ocean inEngland.
You have just heard the American story "Molly Banicky". Molly'sgrandson Benjamin Picnicker became a very famous African-Americanscientist and mathematician. This story was written by Alice Macgiland adapted into Special English by Karen Leggett. Listen again nextweek for another American story in VOA Special English. I'm SteveEmber |