Le Petit Bateau

Le Petit

Bateau

Nya Streb

Thank you, Ms. Maxwell, for believing in me and supporting me through my first year of high school.

The artifact that I chose is a toy boat. Historians believe that this boat belonged to a young boy sometime in the 17th century. This boat is made of wood so it would float on water and boys could pretend it was a real boat. Girls were never given toys like this because they could get dirty they were given dolls to play with. Young children in New France also played with marbles and hoops. Boys would also play with swords to pretend they were fighting. It is believed that boys were given sorts to learn how to fight at a young age. Toy boat most likely came from France and we’re not in fact invented in New France. The story you are about to read was inspired by this artifact from the time of New France.

Le Petit Bateau

There’s a lot of times in my life when I have questioned whether God can help change the way things will turn out. So many bad things happen to people every day. Where was he when my mother died or when my father left me to raise my brother alone, I am alive today because of me not because of a man who is supposed to have been watching over me. But today is a good day because it is finally warm out. The birds are chirping, there are flowers, and you could smell the rain on the grass. I have always hated the cold, it makes me feel lonely. When it snows and the world goes quiet you feel like you are the only living on this land. However, it was spring and the world was alive. My first job today is to get the water. As I’m walking through the woods I hear what sounds like an animal whimpering, it sounds like it's coming from the river so I keep walking in that direction. When I get there I see a small boy ,who looks to be about 5 years old, whimpering. I shout across the river,

”Hello, are you ok?”
He pops his head up and wipes his tears off his checks. I walk across the stones to get a better look at him.
” What's your name, do you understand me?”
He looks confused but then replies,
” Yomaho,”
”Ok, Yomaho. I can help you” I say hesitantly.
”My name is Esme Leblanc, come with me” I whispered in a comforting voice.
She takes his hand and starts walking back toward her home. He is wearing sandals made of grass and a coat made of some animal skin. When we got to the house I started making tea with the little water she got from the creek. When I bring him the lukewarm tea, so he doesn't burn his mouth, I notice he's trying to make a canoe from some sticks he picked up on the way. Then I remembered I still had the little toy boat my brother had given me before I left. I rummaged through my only belongings from France and found it at the very bottom of my box. I handed it to him and his eyes lite up, then he jumps up and walks with purpose out the door toward the creek.
” Where are you going?”
He's too far to hear me so I start running after him.

When I get to the creek I realize he wants to play with it. He puts it in the water and then pretends to be a big scary bear to stop it. I've always had a wild imagination so I go along with it, then all of a sudden we're are in a place made up of our imagination. There are fairies and flowers bigger than us and the wind sounds like it was singing. The boat was going down the creek and we started chasing it. Eventually, it got stopped by a little pebble. There was a little frog that was green and brown and the size chestnut. Back in France, people would eat frogs legs however here the frogs were not good for eating. Yomaho tried to put the frog in the wooden boat but the frog jumped out pretty quickly. Then he pretended he was flying and I joined him. Finally, I remembered I had to meet with the neighbours for lunch. But I didn't want to leave him there so I decided I would take him back to my house. I took the boat out of the creek and started walking up the hill. He followed but then we heard something in the woods and Yomaho started to walk on his toes to be quiet, then I saw it, a big black bear. I crouched down and Yomaho did the same. We waited until I got the nerves to look if it was gone. I didn't see anything so I motioned him to follow me and we ran to my house.

When we got home I laid out a wool blanket for him and told him I would be back soon. I walked to Charlotte's home to have tea. Every Wednesday all the women go together to have tea. I was always one of the youngest ones there, I was only 18. The ladies I was on a boat with have been here for 2 years but the first ones have been here for 13 years. Most of them have at least 3 kids, some have more than 10. I still haven't had any children. My husband, Léon, wants kids but I haven't had any in 2 years, this is another situation where God could have really helped me out. Gabrielle, my dearest friend, sits beside me and hands me a cup of tea she got for me. She has never judged me for not having kids unlike every other person around me.
”Welcome everybody! I hope you've had a lovely week,” says Charlotte as she stands up to show her large belly. A couple of the women applaud and ask her what she wants to it. Marie looks at me
” Esme are you with child yet?” she asked like she already knows the answer. I look down a little.
”No, not yet” I reply quietly.
”But it's been two years, you do want children, right?” says Sylvie
”Of course I want children, I'm not crazy,” I say a little bit louder this time.