Pedro Angel: A Boy from Puerto Rico (1966) by La Colección Puertorriqueña

f^edro ^.y^naei

A BOY FROM PUERTO RICO

Photographs and Text by

Yolla Nielas

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PRESS

COMMONWEALTH OF PUERTO RICO

1966

Nielas

Published by the Department of Education Press

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

G. Quintero Alfaro Secretary of Education

Printcd in Puerto Rico

ÁNGEL

DEDICATION

Spark of love

Friend in need, A gijt of God

Bliss indeed.

Rusty, the pony, had never seen Pedro Angel before.

But the pony could tell that the boy was unhappy.

How could Pedro Angel smile? New York was so different £rom Puerto Rico!

In Puerto Rico the climate was always tropical. There were tall palm trees and flamboyant trees. Their red ñowers looked like £ire over all the island. He was £ar away £rom everything he loved.

His £ather had a £arm in the mountains. It was too little to cultivate su££icient £ood £or the big £amily. So Pedro Angel carne to live with his grandmother in New York.

Grandmother tried to make Pedro Angel happy. Every day she cooked the things he liked best. She tried in every way to make him happy. But Pedro Angel was not content.

He missed his colt. Pedro Angel's £ather gave him the colt when it was a baby. He loved it more than anything else. He thought o£ it eating grass in the sun.

When Rusty the pony came up the street he saw Pedro Angel. Pedro Angel was unhappy because he was thinking about his colt.

Pedro Angel looked at Rusty. "A pony," thought Pedro Angel, "a beauti£ul, little po ny!" He could not believe it was true.

and friendly

A very tall

man was with Rusty the pony. He had a big cid camera.

Pedro Angel watched the man and the pony. A little girl went to the man. She called him "Unele Jimmy".

"This horse looks very little," she said. "Is it a baby horse?"

"Oh,no," answered Unele Jimmy."Rusty is a pony. Ponies don't grow big."

It was Sunday. Pedro Angel had nothing to do. So he went with the man and the pony along the streets.

They came to Fifth Avenue. Pedro Angel heard Unele Jimmy singing; "On the pony, boys and girls, put them on!"

He liked the music and the words.

Unele Jimmy and Rusty went to another street, a smaller street! Suddenly there were many children. They carne £rom all directions. It was like magic. All o£ them wanted to ride the pony.

"Ask your mother, i£ yon can ride the po ny," Unele Jimmy said,'TU take your picture. It doesn't cost anything. If your mother likes the picture, she can buy it.

The children ran home very £ast to ask permission £rom their mothers.

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PedroAngel watched with attention. Some of the children carne back. They had permission from their mothers. Others did not come back. Their mothers did not give them permission. Some mothers started bringing their babies. They wanted their pictures taken.

Pedro Angel watched the children. A little boy went to Unele Jimmy. Pedro Angel was surprised,

"Helio, Unele Jimmy," said the boy.

"Helio, Bobby," said Unele Jimmy.

"Please help me with this little boy."

Bobby put the baby on the pony. He held him with eare. Unele Jimmy took the pieture.

Pedro Angel watehed with interest. But it was late. His grandmother was waiting for him. He went home.

"Maybe I will see them tomorrow," he thought.

And he saw them again the next day. A little boy was sitting on the pony. Bobby was holding hím.

Unele Jímmy talked to the boy. "Take this piece o£ chalk," he said. At the same moment Unele Jímmy jumped baek to bis cam era.

"Look herel" Unele Jímmy críed. He waved the ehalk and made noíses líke a cat. Everybody laughed. It was a happy moment. No one observed Unele Jímmy had taken the píeture.

Another little boy was waiting. Bobby put him on the pony's back. The little boy laughed. Bobby liked to take care o£ the children. Pedro Angel thought, "Bobby probably has many brothers and sisters." Bobby had worked with Unele Jimmy £or a long time. Pedro Angel did not know this. The children liked Bobby very much.

The mother could see that her little boy liked Rusty. To please the boy she gave him a little wooden horse. But the boy did not like the wooden horse. He cried. Bobby wanted to cry too. This was his last day with Unele Fred. His father had found work in another city. Bobby's family had to go away. Bobby was sad he was going away. He would not see Unele Jimmy or Rusty again.

Unele Jimmy knew, too, that Bobby was going away. Now he had to find another boy to help him. For some days Unele Jimmy had seen a young boy watching him and Rusty. The boy was Puerto Rican. He had blaek hair and blaek eyes. Unele Jimmy liked him. But he looks unhappy," Unele Jimmy thought.

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Unele Jimmy thought and thought. One day he called the Puerto Rican boy. "Why are you so sad?" he asked.

The boy looked at Unele Jimmy. Then he said,"I am from Puerto Rico. Some weeks ago I carne to New York. I live with my grand-

mother in this big city. But I miss my father and mother. I miss my heme in the mountains. And I miss my colt"

"A cok?" asked Unele Jimmy.

"Yes," said the boy. "My father gave it to me. We lived near la Parguera. It is a fishing village near the ocean. There are many horses there. One day a cok was born. My father called me. "That baby horse is yours", he said.

"That was a happy day for me!" Unele Jimmy looked at the boy. "This boy can help me", he thought.

"Did yon take good care o£ your cok?" Unele Jimmy asked.

"Oh yes, I did," said the boy.

"I put my colt in a stable. I gave him good food to eat."

"My colt grew big. It was fun to ride along the ocean."

"Yes, I know," said Unele Jimmy.

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Then they were very quiet.

"Would you like to ride Rusty?" asked Unele Jimmy.

"Oh yes," said the boy.

He sat on Rusty's back. Unele Jimmy saw that he was smiling now. The boy rodé away. He knew how to ride a horse. When the Puerto Riean boy returned, Unele Jimmy taiked to him.

"Would you like to help me like Bobby did?" asked Unele Jimmy. "You ean work with me after sehool. Now take Rusty baek to the stable. I will take the bus. I will wait £or you here."

"On Saturdays we will work all day. I will give you two dollars a day. But you have to ask your father and mother for permission," said Unele Jimmy.

"I live with my grandmother" said Pedro Angel.

"I will ask her."

Pedro Angel returned the next day. He was smiling. Unele Jimmy knew his grandmother had said yes.

"I don't know your ñame yet," said Unele Jimmy. "What is it?" Then he looked at the boy's jaeket. The ñame David was written on it. "Is it David?" he asked.

"No," answered the Puerto Riean boy."A friend gave me this jaeket. His ñame is David. My ñame is Pedro Angel Gareía".

"That is a very good ñame" said Unele Jimmy. "It means there is always an ángel near yon".

Unele Jimmy showed Pedro Angel what to do. They started to work as a team.

A man came with a little black dog. He wanted Unele Jimmy to take the dog's pieture. Pedro Angel put the dog on Rusty's baek. "They like eaeh other," thought Pedro Angel.

Pedro Angel had many things to do. He had to tell Unele Jimmy to put a number on the films.

Unele Jimmy wrote this number in a small book too. Next to the numbers he wrote addresses. These were the addresses o£ the people in the pictures. This way Unele Jimmy knew where to send the pietures.

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Pedro Angel learned many things from Unele Jimmy. One day a littie boy and a litde girl carne with their mother. Pedro Angel put them on the pony.

"Smile" said their mother.

"Please" said Unele Jimmy to her. "Let ME take the picture." Then he made the children smile in his special way.

Pedro Angel saw that the children liked Unele Jimmy. They liked the colt too. Many children carne to him. Some were rich, others were poor. Some were white, others were colored.

Once Pedro Angel was standing next to Rusty. A group of children were around them.

"Look!" they shouted, "a pony."

"How oíd is he?" asked a small boy.

"He is eighteen years oíd" answered Pedro Angel.

"Oh, then he is young."

"No,foi" a pony it is oíd" said Pedro Angel.

"Does he have a father and a mother?"

"Yes," said Pedro Angel.

"What is his ñame?"

"Rusty," answered Pedro Angel.

The day was ending. One by one the chlldren went home. Pedro Angel had £un as Unele Jimmy's helper. Unele Jimmy was very happy with him too.

"Take Rusty to the stable, he said to Pedro Angel. "Wait for me there. I will give him his food today. Tomorrow yon ean do it."

The next day Pedro Angel went to the stable again. There he saw Louis, the owner o£ the stable.

"So you are Unele Jimmy's new helper, he said. "You have to take off Rusty's saddle. Then you have to give Rusty his £ood. I will show you how much to give him."

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"You can't give Rusty his water immediately. He can't drink if he is hot." "If he does he will get sick. Remember that," said Louis. Later Unele Jimmy carne to the stable.

"Rusty sleeps next to that tall horse" he toid Pedro Angel. He saw that Pedro Angel was doing his work well. Unele Jimmy was satisfied.

Pedro Angel liked his work very much. He liked his friends Unele Jimmy and Rusty.

Unele Jimmy worked on another street now. It was a very big street. He needed more elients.

'Can I sit on the pony Unele Jimmy?" asked Pedro Angel. "This way more people will see US."

Unele Jimmy said, "yes."

Pedro Angel was right. More people eame when they saw him on Rusty's baek.

The ehildren asked Pedro Angel and Unele Jimmy to tell them about Rusty. Does the pony eat flowers?", they asked. No, said Unele Jimmy. "Flowers would make him siek. He eats oats."

One day there carne a little French girl. Her ñame was Corinne. She wanted Unele Jimmy to take her picture. Pedro Angel liked her very much. She called him "Fierre". This is how yon say Pedro in French.

"Corinne, in Puerto Rico we have many kinds of bananas. Do you know how many?" asked Pedro Angel.

"Are there three kinds?" asked Corinne.

"No," said Pedro Angel.

"Five?" asked Corinne."No, no," laughed Pedro Angel.

"Let's ask Unele Jimmy," said Corinne.

"Are there fifty?", asked Unele Jimmy.

"No," said Pedro Angel, "There are 103 kinds o£ bananas."

Corinne and Unele Jimmy were very surprised to hear this.

Corinne's mother called her. She had to go home.

"Goodbye, Unele Jimmy. Thank you, Pedro Angel. Goodbye, Rusty." She said these words in French. Pedro Angel did not understand the language. But he thought they were beautiful words.

Pedro Angel had been working with Unele Jimmy for a month. They worked very well as a team.

"I want to tell yon something, Unele Jimmy," said Pedro Angel. "I am learning to speak better English now. My teacher is pleased. I told her I am learning from you and Rusty."

Pedro Angel and Unele Jimmy were very good friends. They liked each other.

One day Unele Jimmy was talking to Pedro Angel. "I want to tell yon something," said Jimmy. It's about the mothers and ehildren that eome here. The mothers like to eomb their ehildren's hair. Let them do it! Then the families may want more pietures. This way we ean sell six or seven pietures."

"Pedro Angel," said Unele Jimmy, "after the children eat lunch they always sleep. Then we will not have any customers. There is no one aroimd. It's like magic." "We can't do any work. We have to wait."

At three o'clock, like magic, the children carne back.

"Can yon take my baby's picture?" asked a mother.

"Yes" answered Unele Jimmy.

Pedro Angel took the baby and put him on Rusty's back. The baby looked like a little rabbit.

Soon summer carne. In New York many children go away £rom the city for the summer. Unele Jimmy did not have many clients.

Unele Jimmy wanted to move to another part o£ the eity. He was going to a place where

many children lived. These children did not go away for the summer.

Unele Jimmy did not want to tell Pedro Angel that he was going away. He knew Pedro Angel could not go with him. The new place was far away. Unele Jimmy was unhappy.

The next day Unele Jimmy told Pedro Angel he was going away. Pedro Angel was very sad. He wanted to cry. In two days his friends, Unele Jimmy and Rusty, were going away!

Pedro Angel and Unele Jimmy were very sad. Unele Jimmy tried to make Pedro Angel laugh. But Pedro Angel was very quiet.

That night he took Rusty to the stable. It started to rain. But Pedro Angel did not eare about the rain. He was walking in the street. He thought about Rusty and Unele Jimmy.

"When they go away I will be alone again," he thought.

Pedro Angel watched the rain come down. He thought o£ his home in Puerto Rico. In the forest of El Yunque in Puerto Rico it rains very much. There are many flowers there. The trees are very tall.

He thought about one big tree. This tree looks like an umbrella. Then Pedro Angel was not so sad.

Then carne Pedro Angel's last day with Unele Jimmy and Rusty. Unele Jimmy saw him eoming. Pedro Angel looked sad and alone again.

Pedro Angel took Rusty baek to the stable. Everybody eould see that he looked sad.

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Did Rusty know that Pedro Angel was sad? He did not want to go away. Pedro Angel tried to make him walk. The pony did not want to walk.

Pedro Angel was afraid. He did not know what to do. Then he had to make Rusty walk on the sidewalk. As they were waiking, a pólice car carne along. Pedro Angel was afraid again. The pólice car stopped. Were they stopping for him?

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"That pony can't walk on the sidewalk", said the man in the car.

"I did not know that," said Pedro Angel.

"I am sorry."

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One o£ the policeman got out of the car. He talked to Pedro Angel.

"Is this your pony?" he asked.

"No," said the boy. "This is Mr. Jimmy Rosen's pony. He takes pictures of children on the pony."

"Where is Mr. Rosen?", asked the police man.

"He is waiting for me at the stable."

"Don't be afraid," said the policeman. You look like a good boy. Wait here. I am going to cali Mr. Rosen."

Pedro Angel looked up. They were at the door of the pólice station.

What is your ñame?" asked the police man.

'Pedro Angel"

"Pedro Angel.. He remembered what Unele Jimmy had said. "Angel, that means an ángel is always with you."

Unele Jimmy had gone back to the stable. The telephone was ringing. Unele Jimmy answered it.

Louis eould hear him saying. "Yes, I am Jimmy Rosen. Yes, it's my pony. Yes, he's my helper."

In the poliee station Pedro Angel heard the polieeman talking to Unele Jimmy.

"All right, I will let him go. Tell him not to walk the pony on the sidewalk.

The polieeman then talked to Pedro Angel.

"Yon ean go now. Mr. Rosen is waiting."

Pedro Angel walked down the street with Rusty. He saw Unele Jimmy and Louis coming.

"Louis, take Rusty to the stable. Pedro Angel, I am very sorry about what happened. Come with me. I will buy you some ice cream."

They went to eat the ice cream. There, Unele Jimmy gave Pedro Angel some money. Pedro Angel was very happy.

"After the summer I will come back to New York." said Unele Jimmy. "Will you be my helper again?"

Now Pedro Angel was very happy.

"Yes, Unele Jimmy, yes," he smiled.

Unele Jimmy and Rusty went away. Pedro Angel was alone again. His grandmother could see he was sad. She wanted to give him a present.

A friend gave her a little dog. Pedro Angel's grandmother gave him the dog. He liked the little dog very much.

Pedro Angel started to work in a store. He delivered packages. At home the little dog waited for him.

Pedro Angel was very busy. He did not know that summer was over.

One day a letter carne from Unele Jimmy. Pedro Angel read the letter. Dear Pedro Angel,

Rusty and I have come back to New York. Would yon like to be my helper again? Come to my house tomorrow. I want to talk to yon. Your friends,

Unele Jimmy and Rusty

Pedro Angel was very happy. He kissed bis grandmother. He started to sing and dance.

Pedro Angel went out of the house. He walked to a big brídge. It was called Brooklyn Bridge. He started to walk over the bridge.

It was cold on the bridge. He put his hands in his pocket. His fingers touched the letter.

He had never been so happy.

Pedro Angel stopped walking. He looked in the dírection o£ the city. He saw the tall buildings. He heard the noises o£ the cars and the shouting o£ the children. He saw the airplanes in the sky.

It was so di££erent £rom Puerto Rico. But now he liked New York. He knew a £riend and a pony were waiting £or him here.

The next day Pedro Angel went to Unele Jimmy's house. He knocked at the door. Jimmy opened the door.

"Pedro Angel!" he cried, "yon look wonderful."

Pedro Angel had on a new shirt.

He looked like a different boy.

"Well Pedro Angel," said Unele Jimmy, "will yon be my helper again?"

"Yes, Unele Jimmy," said Pedro Angel smiling.

"I will see yon tomorrow at the stable."

The next morning Pedro Angel woke up early. He was very excited. He dressed and ate his breakfast. Then he ran to the stable.

Pedro Angel was so happy to see Rusty again. He gave Rusty his £ood and water. Then he put his saddle on. When Unele Jimmy arrived they were ready. Jimmy was very surprised.

Pedro Angel was smiling. This made Unele Jimmy very happy.

Unele Jimmy looked at Rusty. The pony looked happy too. Unele Jimmy thought he was smilíng.

Department of Educatíon Press, San Juan, Puerto Rico, February 14, 1966.

DATE DUE

CAVLOKO

^«'NTCoiNU.S.i

Nielas, YoUa

Pedro Angel, a boy from Puerto Rico»

Mielas, Yolla

Pedro Angel, a boy from Puerto 'mo.

DATE DUE BORROWER'S ÑAME ROOM NUMBER j J i i r !

Pedro Angel: A Boy from Puerto Rico (1966)

BOY FROM PUERTO RICO

YOLLA NICLAS