A Chicken Mystery Un Misterio de Gallinas

A publication of La Casita Cultural Center’s Dual Language Circles

Una publicación del Centro Cultural La Casita Círculos de Lectura Bilingüe

A Chicken Mystery Un Misterio de Gallinas

Written and Illustrated by/Escrito e Ilustrado por

Luis López Díaz, Kimari Jenkins, Ailanees León, Aliana Russell-Anamaría, Kiana Anamaría, Karla Anamaría

Graphic Design/ Diseño Gráfico Natalie Delgado

Once upon a time, but not very long ago, there lived a chicken at a big tree. The chicken’s name was Palo. She was a very smart chicken with brown and yellow fluffy feathers and a hint of white feathers. As the story starts, the chicken is eating corn.

Two girls named Luna and Deanna live on medium-sized farms. They are neighbors and friends. Next to the two farms and up a hill is the big tree.

One day, Luna and Deanna climbed the hill and were playing. They heard a “munch, munch,” looked behind the tree and saw the chicken.

Había una vez, no hace tanto tiempo, una gallina que vivía en un gran árbol. El nombre de la gallina era Palo. Ella era muy inteligente. Sus plumas eran muy suavecitas, de color marrón con amarillo y un poco de blanco. Al comenzar esta historia, la gallina está comiendo maíz.

Dos niñas llamadas Luna y Deanna viven en granjas medianas. Son vecinas y amigas. Al lado de las dos fincas y subiendo una colina está el gran árbol.

Un día, Luna y Deanna subieron la colina y estaban jugando. Escucharon un “munch, munch”, miraron detrás del árbol y vieron la gallin a.

Luna’s father was coming home from the store and saw the girls. “What are you girls doing?” he asked. “We were playing by the tree and we found a chicken.” Luna said. “A chicken?”, her father said, “Tomorrow, we are going to eat that chicken.” “NO!” said Luna.

So, Palo, the chicken, came up with an idea. She will hide if the father comes by the tree. The next day, Luna’s father went up to the big tree to get the chicken but the chicken was nowhere to be found. Then, Luna went out to check on her father and he was watering the lettuce.

The day after that, Palo came up with another idea. She would build a fake dummy of herself. Then, while the father is distracted by the dummy, Palo would find a better hiding place. El papá de Luna venía de la tienda hacia la casa, y vió las niñas. “¿Qué están haciendo, niñas?” preguntó. “Estábamos jugando cerca del árbol y encontramos una gallina.” Dijo Luna. “¿Una gallina?” dijo el papá. “¡Mañana nos la comeremos!” “NO!” dijo Luna.

Entonces, Palo tuvo una idea. Se escondería si el papá llegara hasta el árbol. Al día siguiente, el papá de Luna fue al árbol a buscarla, pero la gallina no estaba por ningún lado. Entonces Luna fue a ver qué hacía su papá, y lo encontró regando las lechugas.

Al día siguiente, Palo tuvo otra idea. Haría un muñeco igual a ella. Entonces, cuando el papá estuviese distraído con el muñeco, Palo buscaría un escondite mejor.

Later that day, while Luna was watering the vegetables, Deanna decided to take Palo to her farm as a pet, but does Deanna really want to keep her? Deanna fed Palo and fed her and fed her until she got fat. Then, Deanna went inside her house to sleep.

Another day has passed, and so far, Palo has lived a happy life but she has started getting curious. “Why is Deanna feeding me so much?” Palo asks. “I am not going to eat any more from Deanna, just in case she wants to eat me.” Más tarde ese día, mientras Luna regaba los vegetales, Deanna decidió llevarse a Palo a su finca para ser su mascota, pero, ¿Acaso Deanna, quiere realmente quedarse con ella? Deanna le dió de comer y le dió más comida y le dio más comida, hasta que Palo engordó. Entonces, Deanna entró a su casa y se fue a dormir.

Otro día más pasó, y hasta ahora, Palo ha vivido muy feliz, Pero se estaba empezando a sentir curiosa. “¿Por qué Deanna me está dando tanta comida?” se pregunta Palo. “No voy a comer más nada de lo que me da Deanna, por si acaso quiere comerme a mí.”

Now, a couple of hours earlier, Luna’s father had gone looking for the chicken so he could cook her for dinner. The daddy went up the hill and down the hill and up the other hill and down that hill but Palo was nowhere to be found.

Deanna went out to feed the chicken. She put her hand out with the food, but Palo would not eat. So, Deanna grabbed the chicken and put her hand down Palo’s throat. Palo spit out the food and Deanna pulled her hand back out. Palo was going crazy and flapping her wings because she was scared. Palo ran away from Deanna into the house and upstairs into a closet. There Palo saw a mirror. She saw something red on her head and wondered what it was. Un par de horas antes, el papá de Luna había ido a buscar la gallina para cocinarla, y que fuera la cena. El papá subió la colina y bajó la colina y subió la otra colina y la bajó, pero Palo no estaba en ningún lugar.

Deanna salió a darle comida a la gallina. Le dio a comer de su mano, pero Palo no quería comer. Entonces, Deanna agarró la gallina y le metió la mano por el pescuezo. Palo escupió la comida y Deanna sacó la mano. Palo estaba como loca y sacudía sus alas porque tenía miedo. Palo corrió lejos de Deanna hasta la casa y subió las escaleras para esconderse en un armario. Ahí Palo vio un espejo y notó algo rojo en su cabeza, y se preguntaba qué era aquello.

The front door slammed. Palo ran downstairs and back outside through the dog door. She saw her rooster friends and asked them, “What is this red thing on my head?” They said, “It is a hat. A hat that is a disguise.” Luna had put the hat on Palo so she would look like a rooster and be safe from Luna’s father.

Luna’s father had decided to give up looking for the chicken because he couldn’t find her. The father’s new plan was to put out traps with corn to catch the chicken. La puerta de la entrada se cerró. Palo corrió bajando las escaleras y salió por la puerta del perro. Encontró a sus amigos los gallos y les preguntó, “¿Qué es esta cosa roja en mi cabeza?” Ellos contestaron, “Es un sombrero. Ese sombrero es un disfraz.” Luna le había puesto un sombrero a Palo para que pareciera un gallo y estuviera a salvo de su papá.

El papá se rindió en su búsqueda de la gallina porque no podía encontrarla. Tenía un nuevo plan que era poner trampas con maíz para atraparla.

Palo decides not to run far, far away because she is not sure she will be able to find food. She goes back up the hill to the big tree. On the tree, she sees a poster. It says, “Wanted!!” and it had a picture of Palo. But who had put up the poster and why? Luna was standing a few steps from the tree. Palo went over to her and Luna picked her up. Palo decidió no irse lejos, porque no estaba segura si iba a encontrar comida. Subió la colina otra vez para ir al gran árbol. En el árbol vio un póster. Decía “¡Se busca!” y tenía una foto de Palo. ¿Pero quién había colocado ese póster y por qué? Luna estaba allí a pocos pasos del árbol. Palo fue hacia ella y Luna la tomó en sus brazos.

Luna goes back home with Palo. She holds Palo and she tells her father, “We can’t eat Palo because she is my pet. Can’t just get a pet and eat it.”

Now Luna is not old enough to buy a house for her to live in with the chicken, but she wants to keep Palo safe. So, she starts to raise up money to buy a treehouse for the backyard. Then her father says, “Ok, I won’t eat the chicken if she is your pet.” So, Luna decides to stay living at home.

Some of Luna’s friends come over to hang out with her. Deanna says, in a sassy voice, “Just because I like to eat chicken, doesn’t mean that I have to have one.” Or does it? Luna regresa a la casa con Palo. Ella tiene a Palo y le dice a su papá, “No podemos comernos a Palo porque es mi mascota. No puedes tener una mascota y comértela.”

Luna no tiene suficientes años como para comprar una casa y vivir en ella con su gallina, pero quiere que Palo esté segura. Así que comienza a reunir dinero para comprar una pequeña casita que pondría en un árbol en el patio. Entonces su papá le dijo, “Está bien, no me comeré la gallina si es tu mascota.” Así que Luna decide quedarse viviendo en su casa.

Algunos amigos de Luna vienen a la casa a pasar un rato con ella. Deanna dice con tono atrevido, “Solo porque me gusta comer pollo, no quiere decir que tengo que tener uno.” ¿O, sí?

MEET THE AUTHORS

Ailanees Age: 9 School: Donlin Drive Elementary School Hobby: Cheerleading Favorite Food: Salchipapas Favorite Book: Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo Favorite Part of Reading Circles: “We get to do cool stuff like make a book. Also, I like to do art because I can express myself!”

Aliana Age: 11 School: Donlin Drive Elementary School Hobby: Cheerleading Favorite Food: Empanadas Favorite Book: Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows Favorite Part of Reading Circles: “I like learning new things!”

Karla Age: 8 School: Donlin Drive Elementary School Hobby: Playing on the swings Favorite Food: Donuts Favorite Book: Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss Favorite Part of Reading Circles: “It is fun and I get to make new friends!”

Kiana Age: 9 School: Donlin Drive Elementary School Hobby: Ballroom dance Favorite Food: Shrimp Favorite Book: Go Away Big Green Monster! By Ed Emberley Favorite Part of Reading Circles: “We get to read in Spanish and learn new things!”

Kimari Age: 6 School: Seymour Elementary School Hobby: Playing hide and go seek Favorite Food: Pizza Favorite Book: Anything about princesses Favorite Part of Reading Circles: “Coloring Palo the Chicken!”

Luis Age: 10 School: Seymour Elementary School Hobby: Playing basketball with brother Favorite Food: Pizza Favorite Book: Ninjago by Claire Sipi Favorite Part of Reading Circles: “Palo the Chicken!”

Margot Clark Reading Circles Program Coordinator

Margot Clark, MLIS. Lower School/ Elementary School Librarian for 16 years; 2nd year working as a Librarian/Archivist at La Casita Cultural Center and with the Dual-Language Reading Circles Lifelong lover of stories, storytelling and children’s books; strongly believe in the value of each person’s story; love working with young people to create stories.

Many thanks to Syracuse University students who assisted in La Casita's Dual Language Reading Circles 2016-17

Amelia Gump Selected Studies in Education Major School of Education Syracuse University ‘17

Kendra Guerrero International Relations and Public Relations Major College of Arts & Sciences Syracuse University ‘19

Sharon Quituisaca Sociology Major College Arts and Sciences Syracuse University ‘19

Gianni Cobb College of Arts and Sciences Syracuse University ‘20

Genesis Bolaños Selected Studies in Education Major School of Education Syracuse University ’19

Tatiana Aguirre Biology and Forensic Science Major College of Arts and Sciences Syracuse University ‘18

Mariel Manzañarez College of Arts and Science Syracuse University ‘20

Special thanks also to Juan Carlos Lienqueo, a dedicated member of our local community who worked on this project.

La Casita Cultural Center 109 Otisco St., Syracuse NY 13204

Tel: 315.443-2151 Email: lacasita@syr.edu

A program of the College of Arts & Sciences, Syracuse University