Tomato Rhymes

A count had a huge estate surrounded by lawns and flowerbeds. The count and
countess had one son; a sad, shy young man who was not interested in balls or jousts.

The young count only came to life when he found unusual plants growing in the garden. He told the gardener all about them, and sometimes looked after them himself. The count and countess were upset by their son’s undignified behaviour, but they could do nothing about it. One day the young man heard a voice singing about a generous apple tree in the depths of the garden. He followed the voice and caught sight of a girl gathering apples in a big basket. The boy hid behind a tree for a long time, listening to the girl’s gentle, merry singing.

When the girl had filled her basket, the young man went up to her and said: ‘You sing beautifully, let me help you carry that heavy basket.’

‘Oh, you were listening to my songs?!’ the girl cried, blushing.

‘Yes, I’ve never heard songs like them before.’

‘The apples and the flowers taught me to sing,’ the girl smiled. ‘They sing songs
early in the morning, when the sun is rising.’

‘If you don’t mind, I’d like to hear another song,’ the young count asked.

It was the first time in his whole life that the boy had felt so happy and carefree, but as they walked up to the gate, the girl said goodbye to him.

| ‘Dear songstress, when will I hear you sing again?’ the young man asked.

‘Come to the meadow at dawn tomorrow. I’ll be there collecting wild strawberries.’
The young people met up with each other all summer. Their meetings were short, but they filled the young man’s life with joy, and he asked the girl to be his wife. The count and countess were furious. They locked the girl up and did not allow the young man to see her. He was gloomier than ever before. To make the boy feel better, his parents showed him a new plant which had been brought over from Italy.

‘Look at its huge red berries, Senor. In Italy it’s called “pomodoro” – the golden apple. But I don’t advise you to try these apples, the whole plant is poisonous. It’s better to call it by its Peruvian name, “tomate” or “tomato”. These are definitely not golden apples if you can die after eating them!’


As the young man listened to the gardener’s story, he made ...

... (this is the end of our fragment from the story on HOW TOMATOES & FRIENDS BECAME FRIENDS).

Activities on Story on 'How Tomatoes & People became friends'

• What was the young count like? How was he different from his mother?
• What tomato dishes do you cook in your family?
• • The children get into a circle and compose a story about Senor Tomato, who helped people grow tomatoes. Everyone makes up a sentence each, and the last person retells the whole story.