pagethree

Suddenly Naomi looked toward the bush. Someone was taking something from her pan. "A rogue! A rogue!" Naomi cried. She grabbed her lapa and ran. The others all ran, too. When the came to the pan, Naomi�s money was gone. There was not a five-cent left! Naomi sat down and cried. She had worked so hard. Now everything was gone. "Stop crying!" shouted Sumo. "We must get that rouge. It was Jacko-he could run fast!" Everyone knew Jacko the rogue, Yes, they knew him all right. He took things, and he always got away

Each and every day Naomi would count her money. Big brother said she would need forty of the five-cent, five-cents. Forty! What a lot! One day Naomi was hot and so very tired. She stopped to count her money. She had thirty of the five-cent, five-cent pieces. One was bright and new. She always counted it first. Naomi put all her money in her pan. "Now I will go to the waterside," she thought. "I will take a bath in the cool water near the Bomi bridge." She left her pan under a tree and ran to the waterside.

"Jacko will go to Via-town to buy things," said Sumo. "We must get him." Sumo began to run. Naomi jumped up and ran with the others. They arrived in Vai-Town and sure enough! There was Jacko, buying a fine-fine knife. "You took my money!" cried Naomi. "You have all my five-cent. five cents! Now I cannot buy the kwee dress for my little sister." Jacko looked at Naomi. "Its not your money, "he said. "I took some fish to the market. This is the money that I got for my fish."

Naomi did not know what to do. Everyone began to talk. Just then Uncle Vonjo came in the store. "What is all this palaver?"he asked. "He has all my money!" cried Naomi. "Jacko has my five-cent five-cents. He is buying a knife with my money." Everyone looked at Uncle Vonjo to see what he would do. "How do you know it is your money?" he asked. "Everyone has five-cent, five cent pieces. Naomi thought hard, "One five-cents is bright,� she said. "It is new."

"Lets us see the money you have, Jacko," said Uncle Vonjo. Jacko had to do what Uncle Vonjo told him. He could not say no. He took the money from his pocket. "Put it down," said Uncle Vonjo. "Let us see all the five-cent, five cents." Jacko put the money down. There was the bright new five-cent piece! There were thirty five-cent, five cent pieces in all. Just what Naomi had and. Jacko wanted to run, but Uncle Vonjo grabbed him. So did Sumo and Dogba. "Put him in jail!" shouted Sumo. "No," said Uncle Vonjo. "I know what to do with him."

They all walked from the store towards Bomi Hills where a man was planting cassava. He was happy that someone had caught Jacko, and was laughing and teasing as they passed his farm. Naomi asked Uncle Vonjo what will he do with Jacko? Uncle Vonjo looked at Jacko and said, "He will go up in the orange trees. He will get the oranges for Naomi.. We will watch him do this for the trouble he made for Naomi. Bomi Hills is the place that Uncle Vonjo has many orange trees.

Uncle Vonjo took Jacko and led the way. All the others went along. Jacko did not want to go, he wanted to be a rogue, not a worker. Uncle Vonjo made Jacko climb ever tree. Ten trees to climb before Jacko could stop. Naomi pan was soon full. "Thank you, my uncle," she said. "Oh thank you plenty!" "Jacko, you may go home," Uncle Vonjo told the boy. "If you are a rogue again you will catch a hard time. You must work for your money."