On this page, the story is repeated 4 times:

THE BOY I (100% English)

(1)We sit on big sheets of paper, drawing with happy colours; lots of broad lines with small messages hidden all over.

(2)Mamma calls--off to the supper table: fresh fish, tasty sea fish; lemon; mash; salad, fresh salad; and a smile from mamma. We're being fed.

(3) I wake up early in the morning and listen to the birds, hundreds of birds--stretching out, discussing the day's work; and I run to the sand pit with all my trucks and cars... "Today I'll build a highway". First the parking lot for my fleet and then the work! I build bridges, retaining walls and grade the mountain pass....a majestic network unfolds.

(4) With much resistance I temporarily disband the project. I'm grumpy about the interruption, "It's breakfast!" But soon I forget about it and I show some measure of interest in the cereals, the orange juice, and a little bit of toast. At the conclusion of breakfast, I rush off, "Duty calls!" On arrival at the site, I find that the sand has dried and that the sun is too hot. (I'm known to be a swift decision maker) "Abandon the project". The fleet moves out, digging up my roads, crushing the bridge with my favourite extra-heavy truck--and I leave a devastated civilization to scorch in the sun.

(5) Ma's calling, (to make my bed) so I'm off on my get-away bicycle. It's fun when there's a reason to go fast. I cycle down to the river. At the big pond, I throw some big stones into the stream. It's fun to see them splash. My feet sink into the embankment. "A dam, I must build a dam!" The excavations don't take too long and I save the sand for the dam wall. The water keeps washing away the walls and the rough sand hurts my hands. I stand up and think things over..."Boat races down the river!" It's a pity my brother isn't here, because then I could beat him at it. But, I'll make my own bets on the boats of my choice. A long stiff piece of bark wins my favour and I play fair at the start. I run along the river as the race gets serious. A sudden crisis! My yacht lands in some foliage. I rush to the rescue, but it gets off too slow, so I throw it just in front of the other boats to make up for the lost time and to give my yacht a chance to pick up some speed. They hit the rapids and I have to run to keep up... It's difficult to say who won. There's too much turbulence in the rapids and with all the foam, I couldn't see which one fell in the pond first. I think mine won though, because I spotted it first on the pond, but then I saw one of the other boats further along, so I'm not sure anymore.

(6) There's an old man who always fishes at the pond. I cautiously walk closer. I'm a little scared, because he doesn't always like it when I sit by him--he says I scare the fishes away. This morning he's really friendly. He has already caught two fishes. The one fish has already realized that he's caught and he's out of breath because he fought so much. The other fish doesn't want to believe it's all over: he fights like heck. The old man says I shouldn't touch the fishes, because they'll hit me with their tails. I wish I could throw the quiet one back. It looks as if he's fighting for air. His eyes are desperately begging me to help him. The old man says I shouldn't worry, because fishes don't feel, but I know he's saying it because he wants to kill the fish when I go away. The old man says his children are big and that they don't live with him anymore. He says they have children who are as big as me. But I'm not so sure about that--how can he be big and his children be big too? He didn't catch any more fish, but every now and again he has to pull out the line to put on some more of that sticky stuff with the raw eggs in it. He says the fishes steal his bait, but deep down I'm glad--because he's cruel to the fishes. After a long time the old man goes home, and he takes the two fishes with him. I walk back to look for my bicycle. I nearly forgot where I had put it.

(7) When I get home, ma yells at me and she is all mad. She is in a bad mood I guess. So I just keep quiet, make my bed, and do everything she says, because then she might not be mad anymore. We have warm bread for lunch. It's nice when the butter melts on it. As we sit at the table, ma says we have to keep dead quiet, `cause she's trying to listen to the news. When she really listens, she turns her head all funny and the radio man speaks very straight, without laughing. Now and again ma frowns or shakes her head, so my brother and I start laughing. It looks very funny when she frowns or shakes her head when the man in the radio doesn't even know she's listening to him. She gives us each a good smack and tells us to go and play outside.

(8) We look around in the store room a bit and then my brother wants us to go to the river, but I don't want to go again, so he goes alone. I tell him that I will come later, but I don't know if I really want to go; he will just want to do the same things again. I sit for a bit on the swing and then I see some lizards in the rockery. I try to pelt them with stones, but they know it, because when I come close, they all run away.

(9) I go inside and see ma clearing out the buffet. She says she's going to shine up all the big silver stuff. It always takes her the whole afternoon. Then she puts them all back. There's always a heap of rags with lots of black on them and the house smells of that stuff she puts on all the silver ware. I wouldn't do this job if I were her, because she just lets them sit for a long time and then she has to clean them all over again.

(10) I feel really tired, so I go to lie down … when I wake up it is already nearly the time when dad comes home. My brother is out in the garden and he says that he isn't going to play with me, because I didn't come to the river. I don't feel bad, because I wanted to play alone anyway. I go to the sand pit. This time I'm going to build a really nice highway. I pick up all my cars and put them on a newly made parking lot. I want to build a totally different road, so I have to break up all my old roads. I first make a big mountain and then construct the finest of roads. This pass has to be narrow, steep and very dangerous to drive on. You will have to use your brakes all the time. Then dad comes home. As he walks by, he says that the highway is very nice. I build the road right around the mountain, but I'm not on top yet, so I have to break away some of the road and try again. Then ma calls for supper, but I want to finish quickly. I'm nearly on top and then I have to make a place for my cars to park. Ma calls again, she's cross. I quickly rub the sand off my pants and knees and run inside. She doesn't say anything, but I have to pray. We're having fish again. "I'm so glad this fish comes out of the sea and not the river, because the river fishes really suffer when you take them out of the water."

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THE BOY II

(1) Ons sit on big sheets (of) papier, draw with happy colours; many broad lyne with small messages all over gehide.

(2) Mamma calls--supper table toe: fresh fish, tasty seevis; lemon; mash; salad, fresh salad; en 'n smile from mamma. Ons become gefeed.

(3) Ek become early in die morning awake en listen na the birds, hundreds (of) birds--that outstretch, the day's work discuss; en ek run na die sandpit toe with all my trucks en cars..."Today shall ek 'n highway bou". First die parking terrain for my fleet en then die work! Ek bou bridges, retaining walls en grade die mountain pass....'n majestic network unfolds.

(4) With much resistance disband ek temporarily die project. Ek's grumpy about die interruption, "Dis breakfast!" But soon forget ek about it en ek show some measure of interest in die cereals, die orange juice, en 'n little bit of toast. At die conclusion of breakfast, rush ek off, "Duty calls!" On arrival at die site, find ek that die sand upgedried het en that die sun too hot is (Ek's known as 'n swift decision maker) "Abandon die project". Die fleet moves out, digging up my roads, crushing die bridge with my favourite extra-heavy truck--en ek leave 'n devastated civilization om in die sun te scorch.

(5) Ma calls, (om my bed up te make) so am ek off on my get-away bicycle. Dis fun when there 'n reason is om fast te go. Ek cycle down na the river toe. At die big pond, throw ek some big stones into die stream. Dis fun om hulle te see splash. My feet sink into die embankment. "'n Dam, ek moet'n dam build!" Die excavations take nie too long nie en ek save die sand for die damwal. The water hou aan om die walle away te was en die rough sand makes my hande hurt. Ek stand up om things te overthink. ..."Boat races with die rivier down!" Dis 'n pity my brother is nie here nie, because then could ek hom thereat beat. But, ek sal my own bets on die boats of my choice make. 'n Long stiff piece of bark wins my favour and ek play fair at die start. Ek run with die river along as die race serious gets. 'n Sudden crisis… my yacht lands in some foliage. Ek rush na sy rescue, but hy gets too slow off, so throw ek dit just in front of die other boats om for die lost time up te make and om my yacht 'n chance te give om some speed up te pick. Hulle hit die rapids en ek moet run om up te keep... Dis difficult om te say who gewin het. There's too much turbulence in die rapids and with all die foam, could ek nie see which one first in die pond geval het nie. Ek think mine het gewin (though), because ek dit first on die pond gespot het, but then het ek one of die other boats further along gesee, so is ek nie more so sure nie.

(6) There's an old man who always in die pond fishcatch. Ek walk cautiously closer. Ek's 'n little scared, because hy nie always dit like when ek by hom sit nie--hy says ek scare die fishes away. This morning is hy really friendly. Hy het already two fishes gecatch. Die one fish het already gerealize that hy gecatch is and hy's out of breath because hy so much gefight het. Die other fish wil nie believe that dit all over is nie: hy fights like heck. Die old man says ek moet nie aan die fishes touch nie, because hulle my with hulle tails sal hit. Ek wish ek could die quiet one back throw. Dit looks asof hy for air fights. Sy eyes beg my desperately om hom te help. Die old man says ek moenie myself worry nie, because fishes nie kan feel nie, but ek know hy says dit because hy die fish sal deadmake when ek away go. Die old man says sy children are big and that hulle nie anymore with hom live nie. Hy says hulle have children who as big as ek is. But ek is nie so sure thereabout nie--how kan hy big be and sy children too big be? Hy het nie any more fish gecatch nie, but every now and again moet hy die line outpull om some more of that sticky stuff with die raw eggs therein on te put. Hy says that die fishes sy bait steel but diep down is ek glad--because hy cruel to die fishes is. After 'n long time goes die old man home, and hy takes die two fishes with hom. Ek walk back om for my bicycle te look. Ek het nearly forget where ek dit geput het.

(7) When ek by die house come, yell ma at my and sy is very mad. Ek guess sy is in 'n bad mood. (So) ek keep just quiet, maak my bed up, en do everything what sy says, because then sal sy maybe nie anymore mad be nie. Ons have warm bread for lunch. Dis nice when die butter thereon melts. When ons by die tafel sit, says ma that ons dead quiet moet keep, `cause sy na die news try listen. When sy really listens, turns sy haar head all funny en die radio man speaks very straight, without om te laugh. Now en again frowns ma or sy shakes haar head, so ek en my brother starts laugh. Dit looks very funny when sy frowns or sy haar head shakes when die man in die radio nie even know that sy na hom listen nie. Sy gives ons each 'n good smack en tells ons that ons outside moet go play.

(8) Ons look 'n bit in die store room around and then wil my brother have that ons die river toe moet go, but ek wil nie again go nie, so hy goes alone. Ek tell hom that ek later sal come, but ek know nie if ek really wil nie; hy sal just again die same things wil do. Ek sit for 'n bit on die swing and then see ek (some) lizards in die rockery. Ek try hulle with stones pelt, but hulle know dit, because when ek close come, run hulle all away.

(9) Ek go inside and see ma die buffet outpak. Sy says that sy al die big silver stuff go upshine. Dit takes haar always die whole afternoon. Then puts sy dit all back. There's always 'n heap of rags with lots of black thereon en die house smells of that stuff wat sy on al die silwerware put. Ek would nie this job do if ek sy was nie, because sy dit just again for 'n long time sit en then moet sy dit all again over cleanmaak.

(10) Ek feel really tired, so go ek lie.....when ek awake become, is dit already nearly die time when dad huis toe comes. My brother is out in die garden en hy says that hy nie with my go play nie, because ek nie na die rivier toe gecome het nie. Ek feel nie bad nie, because ek anyway alone wou play. Ek go na die sandpit toe. This time go ek really 'n nice highweg build. Ek pick all my cars up and put hulle on 'n newly made parking terrein. Ek wil 'n totally different road build, so moet ek al my old roads upbreek. Ek make first 'n big mountain en then construct ek die finest of roads. This pass moet narrow be, steep en very dangerous om on te drive. Jy sal jou brakes die hele time moet use. Then comes dad huis toe. As what hy by walks, says hy dat die highweg very nice is. Ek bou die road right around die mountain, but ek's nog nie on top nie, so moet ek some of die road away breek en again try. Then calls ma for supper, but ek wil quickly finish maak. Ek's nearly on top en dan moet ek 'n place vir my cars maak om te parkeer. Ma calls again, sy's cross. Ek rub quickly die sand from my pants en knees off en run inside. Sy says nothing nie, but ek moet pray. Ons het again fish. "Ek's so glad this fish comes out of die see en nie out die rivier nie, because die riviervisse really suffer when jy hulle out of die water take."