Page 53 - English Expedition Class 4

8 The Calabash Kids

Calabash is a type of gourd that is commonly cultivated in tropical regions, especially Africa. It
resembles a bottle in appearance. The insides are removed (keeping the shell intact) and cooked
while the shell is dried to make utensils and musical instruments.

calabashes growing on a vine cut calabashes ready to be scooped

sun-dried shell of a cut calabash a vessel made from calabash

Have your elders ever yelled at you? Certainly you must have felt bad, but have you tried
to understand why they may have done so? Do you think that they may have felt sorry for
doing so later? Discuss these questions in class and read the story.

Once there was a woman named Shindo, who lived in a village at the foot of a snow-
capped mountain. Her husband had died and she had no children, so she was lonely.
1
She was always tired too, for she had no one to help her with the chores .

1 chore: a tedious routine task
43