The Journey for Milk

Alicia Zhou

One Saturday morning Tessa was eating breakfast with her friend Justine.

They were munching on toast when suddenly Justine realized that they were out of milk, she asked, “Tessa, would you mind going next door and borrow some milk?”

“Of course not.”

So off Tessa went.

She went next door where Justine’s friend Maddy lived, “Can I borrow some milk?” Tessa asked politely.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have any.” She replied kindly.

So off Tessa went.

She walked in the forest where old lady Ms. Cook lived

“Ms. Cook may I bor--

“Out! Out! NOW!” Ms. Cook yelled and hit Tessa with a broom.

So off Tessa went.

She walked to Sahil’s house in the forest.

“May I borrow some milk?” she asked, hoping to get what she needed

“No, no you may not.” Sahil replied.

Tessa walked away and sat down on a rock in the forest, discouraged.

Meanwhile, Suah was walking by gathering mushrooms on her daily hike. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I’m tired, and no one will help me, and I want to go home.” Tessa replied with a sigh.

Well you can’t just give up can you?

Suah told Tessa a story about a young deer named Bamba.

“You see, Bamba was on a quest to find berries in a deserted town. She almost gave up and didn’t return home. But when

Bamba thought about her family, and how they would be hungry if she didn’t collect berries.”

“What did she do?” asked Tessa.

“What do you think she did?” Suah replied.

So off Tessa went.

She traveled out of the forest, and to Peter’s house.

“May I borrow some milk?” asked Tessa.

“I don’t have any, but I know this one guy that lives by the mountain. That one.” Peter pointed out the window. “He knows

EVERYTHING.”

So off Tessa went.

She walked and walked and walked and eventually got to the edge of the village.

She walked some more until she finally reached the mountain.

At the edge was a little house.

She knocked on the door.

“Come in, I know where you can get some.” Matthew held the door open for Tessa.

“Hello.” Matthew answered. “Hi, do you know where to get some milk?” asked Tessa.

She stepped through the doorway and sat in an armchair. She told Matthew about her journey.

She explained how she had visited everyone’s house, asking for milk and how Suah told her the story about Bamba.

“Well, I…” Tessa didn’t have a good answer. “I think you should have given up right then, but it’s not too late now, you could turn back now, it would be much easier.” Matthew told her. Tessa thought about the rock in the forest, about Suah’s story, and how easy it would

be to give up.

Matthew thought about this and replied, “Why didn’t you give up when you sat on the rock in the forest?”

“No, I did not come all this way for nothing, Justine is still waiting for me, and Suah believed in me.” Tessa turned and left, going towards the next house she saw.

She was halfway to Taylor’s house when Matthew showed up behind with a jug of milk. “Very good, you never gave up, even though it was difficult. No one ever should, no matter what they are doing, because the result will pay off.” He handed the jug of milk to Tessa.

So off she went.

Back towards the village, across the path in the forest, all the way back to Justine’s house, with the jug of milk that she earned by not

giving up, and a lesson that she would never forget.

On a Saturday afternoon.