The Mary Chestnut's Story

The sky was grey and the sun rarely came out, but as long as it didn't rain, the children played in the garden.

It was a very big and beautiful garden, surrounded by a green painted fence that prevented cars from driving in and running over the children, who played freely in various ways: some played in the swings and slides, others were by the lake feeding bread to the ducks, some were stepping on the crackling dry leaves, which would crackle - Crack! Crack! – under their boots, some would run, with their arms opened, after the pigeons that flu up and away, also with open wings.

It felt good going to the garden. Even without the sun, children would warm their feet and redden their cheeks running and jumping up and down.

One day, a different girl turned up in the garden: her cheeks weren't red, but she had a sweet round brown face, with two big dark shining eyes.

- What's your name? – the children asked.
- Mary. Sometimes, people call me Mary Chestnut (1).
- That's funny, Mary Chestnut! Do you want to play?
- Yes I do.

They started to play catch.

Mary Chestnut was running faster than all of them.

- Who can catch me? Does nobody catch me?!
- Nobody catches Mary Chestnut!

She was running so much. So fast, that she didn't see the chestnuts vendor's cart, by the garden's gate, and run into it.
Crash!
The chestnuts bag fell and spread them all over the floor.
Mary Chestnut also fell down and found herself sitting in the middle of the chestnuts.
- Oh! Naughty girl! – yelled an angry chestnuts seller.
- She didn't mean it – explained the other children.
- I'll help to pick everything up – said Mary Chestnut, kneeling down and starting to pick up the fallen chestnuts.

All the other children helped too.
Soon the chestnuts were all picked up

- Where are your parents? – asked the chestnuts seller to Mary Chestnut.
- They are looking for a job.
- And you?
- I was looking for friends.
- You've found them: we are your friends – the children said.
- I'm your friend also – said the chestnuts seller.

He laid a hand on Mary Chestnut's curly soft hair, as soft as the wool on a young lamb.

He then said:

- When friends meet, there's usually a party to celebrate. Let's celebrate with a chestnut party! Does everyone like's chestnuts?
- Yes! Yes, we do! – shouted the children.
- I don't know?! I've never tasted chestnuts. It doesn't grow in my homeland - said Mary Chestnut.
- You'll taste it and know how good it is.

The seller put some chestnuts and salt into the spit and roasted then on top of the fire.
Soon, the nuts were snapping... Bang! Bang!
- Oh! Are these gunshots? – Mary Chestnut was scared, because her homeland was at war.
- Don't be scared. The nuts are snapping with the heat.
And from the spit a light-blue nice smelling smoke rose in the air.
And blue were the very hot toasted chestnuts the Seller gave to Mary Chestnut and her friends.

- This is tasty – said the smiling Mary Chestnut eating the roasted chestnuts.
- If you'll help me, you can eat chestnuts everyday. Do you know how to make paper cartridges?

Mary Brown didn't know, but she soon learned.

She's the one who rolls newspaper into cartridges the seller's fills with chestnut's to sell to customers by the garden's gate.

The End

(1) – in Portuguese the word Chestnut (the fruit) and brown (the colour) is written the same way "castanha", so, in the story, the word is used with a double meaning, as the fruit and as her name symbolizing the colour of her skin.