The Lost Canoe

SUBJECT: The Lost Canoe
AUTHOR: Katrina Gates, Age 13, lives with her parents, one sister and two brothers, and cousins in the village of Kaikan, Guyana, near the Venezuelan border.
DATE: March 3, 1997

This happened to a boy called Clive. He was 10 years old when it happened. It all started one day when Clive wanted to go watch TV on the other side of the river. You see, a Venezuelan

There was no canoe in sight!

man owns a store on the other side of the river. There he has a TV. So Clive asked his mom if he could go and watch TV. His mom immediately told him "no". And that was not the answer Clive wanted. So he begged, but the answer never changed.

But he was as stubborn as a mule and quietly jumped in the canoe and went to the other side. After watching TV for a couple of hours, he decided he better go before he got in too much trouble. He went out to the landing and much to his shock the canoe was not there. He searched around frantically, but in vain. There was no canoe!

And he had to face that fact. He borrowed another canoe to go back and was too afraid to mention it to his mother. But sooner or later, the question "Where's the canoe?" would come up. And it did. Immediately afterward, he went and as he put it "I went in the bush and pray." And pray he did. He begged and begged God to let him find the boat. Then when he was done, he went to look for the boat.

And he found it. It was down a little farther past the landing. Appearantly it had just floated down. He too the canoe back and said a quick thank-you prayer. And next time he was sure to obey his mom.

He got punished, but Clive knew exactly why!

You may write to Katrina at: gates@andrews.edu

Note: This article was credited to Lina Gates by error. It has now been corrected to show the correct author.

[Home Page] [Children's Corner] [Life on the Frontlines] [How to become an adventurer]
[Others who did it] [About Us] [Caribbean Links]

Last Updated: March 10, 1997