GRACE  ABNEY:

THE EXPERT TRACTOR DRIVER

By Sarah, Caitlin and Grace

There once was a girl called Grace Abney.

Her lot was hard and dreary, she was exceedingly poor. Some days she went without food, and her clothes had turned to rags. 

Her mother had died when Grace was a toddler.

 Grace had been rich once, but her father had gambled away all their riches. 

Then her father died.

One evening Grace's stomach growled, she was so hungry that she tried eating the table, which of course did not satisfy her hunger. So Grace decided enough was enough. 

"I WANT FOOD!" She screamed, as she pulled a splinter out of her gums. 

"What I need is money for food!" She thought out loud, but Grace was only a teenager and she had no way of making money.

I WILL GET A JOB!

So Grace formulated a plan to save her beloved belly.

"I WILL GET A JOB!!!" She shouted victoriously, and with utter originality. "What am I good at?"

Grace paced around the room deep in thought.

"I'M NOT GOOD AT ANYTHING!" She wailed and burst into tears.

Grace was miserable until she looked outside to see a grumpy farmer driving a big red tractor. 

"I know what I can do!" Grace screamed, leaping up from her sad pool of tears which she had created. 

"I'll drive tractors! I have had a ride in one once, I'm pretty much an expert already."

The next day Grace went to all the farmers around where she lived and asked them if they needed a tractor driver.

"I'm an expert." She answered when questioned about her ability.

"Well then, show me how well you drive." They all said. She would hop on the tractor and then sit there for a long time. 

"How do you turn this thing on again?" She asked the farmers.

Then the farmers would pick up their pitchforks and chase the imposter down the road.

Grace was getting depressed, her hunger had not yet been fullfilled. Why had no one wanted her? She was an expert. They were just crazy farmers with pitchforks! Grace nearly gave up, but decided to knock on one last door. 

"Hello?" An old lady opened the door. 

"Are you in need of a tractor driver?" Grace asked. The old woman began to sob and fell onto Grace's shoulders. 

"Uh.. excuse me, I am not a shoulder to cry on.. I'm an expert in the art of.. what is that thing called again.. oh yes, tractor driving." Grace said.

"You say you are a tractor driver?" The old lady asked, wiping away her tears.

"Yes, of the highest order." Grace responded proudly.

"Well, you've got a job." The old lady said. Grace couldn't believe her luck. 

"Finally, someone is realizing my ability." She thought to herself.

"Our tractor driver just died today, you see, and it was providential that you came along just now." The little old lady explained. "Can you begin work tomorrow?" She asked.

"Yes, I can." Grace said with a smile.

The next day, Grace hopped onto the tractor. 

She had now finally learnt how to turn the thing on. She gave it a hard smack, of course this didn't work. 

The old lady was watching Grace from the door. 

"Is everything alright?" She asked. Grace froze. She couldn't lose this job or she would starve, "Uh yes, this tractor, is it new?" She shouted back. The old lady nodded. 

"I thought so. I have never used this model before. How do you turn it on?" Grace asked. The old lady pointed to the leaver. Grace pulled it and the tractor started up, with a grunt.

"Aha!" Grace said to herself. She had finally conquered the beast!

Then the tractor began to move, it rolled down the hill. Grace screamed in terror. Why was it moving? She had touched nothing other than the small block-like things under her feet.

Grace pushed harder on the pedals in her fright. The tractor went faster and faster until she rammed through a fence and squashed ten sheep. The old lady started clapping and laughing.