Before You Read: Target Vocabulary
Essential words to understand this chapter easily.
pestle
/ˈpes.əl/a heavy tool with a rounded end, used for crushing and grinding substances in a bowl
sieve
/sɪv/a kitchen tool with a wire or cloth mesh used to separate solids from liquids or fine flour from coarse pieces
hearth
/hɑːθ/the floor of a fireplace, often made of stone or brick
ember
/ˈem.bər/a small piece of glowing coal or wood in a dying fire
Chapter Text Preview
To grow more food, I needed to prepare more land. I made a wooden spade, which took me a whole week and was very heavy to work with. However, I managed to plant my barley and rice, and I fenced the fields with young branches that took root and grew into living hedges. During the wet season, I had to stay inside. To pass the time, I taught my parrot to speak. He soon learned his own name, "Poll." That was the first word I had heard from any mouth on the island except my own. I sorely needed pots...
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