Page 33 - English Expedition Class 2

Thus he went from one place to another, always adding to
his store of seeds. Sometimes a generous farmer would give him
6
cuttings of peach, pear and plum trees, and grape vines.
Day after day, he cut up the fruit while the children sat at his

feet and listened to thrilling tales of what he had seen in his travels.
7
He would tell them stories of the Red Indians with their colourful
blankets and feathers, of their camps where they lived in the forests.
He would tell them about their dances and their many

coloured beaded necklaces and jingling silver chains
and bracelets.
He sang funny songs for the children
and taught them all sorts of games. When

it was time for him to go, the children
always begged him to stay. Never before
had they been so amused. But the farmer
went on to carry out his splendid idea.

The farmer’s little boat went on and on. He kept visiting new places and collecting
seeds till his sack was full of seeds and cuttings. He kept sailing and sailing till houses
were no more to be seen.
8
Then one day, he reached a place where no one lived. Here he paused because this
was exactly what he was looking for. He landed and took his bag of seeds to an open
area in the forest. There, he planted the seeds and
the cuttings of the trees and vines. Then he wove
9
a brush fence around them to keep the deer away.
He then went back to his boat and sailed on.
He landed and planted seeds in many, many places.
10
All the orchards of the Ohio and Mississippi Valley
11
owe this man. Many years later, when settlers 12
came looking for a place to live, they chose these
spots where they found all sorts of trees loaded with
fruit. This man’s name was John Chapman but he
was nicknamed Johnny Appleseed.

Adapted by J.S. Gates from the story of

Johnny Appleseed

6 cutting: the small piece of a plant used to grow a new plant 9 brush fence: fence made out of twigs, small branches and
7 Red Indians: an old (off ensive) term for the original wires
people of North America who lived there long before 10 Ohio and Mississippi: states in the USA
the Europeans arrived 11 owe: (here) exist because of
8 paused: stopped 12 settler: someone who goes to live in a new region
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