4 Garden Paradise

4 Garden Paradise Jack heard pounding noises. He imagined Boka and Kama were building a ship. He opened his eyes. Only he and Annie were still in the hut. A piece of cloth covered the doorway. Jack sat up and shook Annie. “ Wake up! " he said. She opened her eyes. “ I think they're building a ship outside, " said Jack. “ Come on, let's go. " Annie jumped up.

“ Don't forget your lei, " she said. They put on their flower wreaths. Jack lifted the cloth over the doorway, and they stepped out into the warm sunlight. Boka, Kama, and their parents smiled at Jack and Annie. They were all working. But no one was building a ship. Boka was pounding a wide strip of bark with a wooden club. Kama was using a stone to pound something that looked like a fat sweet potato. Their parents were weaving grass mats. “ What are you making?" Jack asked. “ I'm making tapa, ” said Boka. “ First I beat the bark of the mulberry tree into thin sheets. Then my father pastes the sheets together to make cloth for us. "

“ This is the root of a taro plant, " said Kama. She pointed at the squashed white vegetable. “ When you add fruit to it, you get poi. "

“ Great, ” said Jack. “ By the way, do you ever build ships?” “ Ships?" asked Boka. “ What for?”

Jack shrugged. “ To sail away?" he said. “ Why would we do that?” asked Kama. “ Good question, ” said Jack, smiling. “ Can I help?" Annie asked Kama. “ Sure, ” said Kama. While she showed Annie how to pound the taro root, Jack slipped back into the hut. He pulled out his notebook and quickly added to his Hawaii list: tapa-bark pounded into cloth tavo root-pounded for poi ship-? Jack heard Kama ask her parents if they could play now. “ We've finished our chores, " said Kama. “ May we take Jack and Annie to the ocean?” “ For wave riding, " said Boka. Jack held his breath. He half hoped their parents would say no.

“ Yes, go have a good time with your friends, " said their father. “ Come on, Jack! " Annie called. Jack put his notebook away. He pulled on his pack and joined the others outside. “ We'll be back in a little while, " said Kama. “ Don't forget to eat breakfast! " said her mother. “ We won't, " said Kama. Where will we get breakfast?wondered Jack. He and Annie followed Kama and Boka. They passed villagers hard at work. Some carried firewood or water. Others were cutting grass or stripping bark from trees. Everyone smiled and waved. “ Hungry?" Kama asked Jack and Annie. “ Sure, " they said.