Naya
Chapter 2: The Great Cleanup
When Naya and Tom clean the forest, nature has a wonderful surprise in store for them...
Reading difficulty
The next day, Naya met Tom at the clearing. They had brought gloves and rubbish bags.
"We're going to clean everything up!" said Tom happily.
They collect the waste one by one. Tom brought three different bags: a blue one for recycling, a brown one for compost, and a black one for the rest.
"Look, a plastic bottle!" said Naya. "It goes in the blue bag!"
They work for two hours. They find bottles, cans, packaging and even cigarette butts.
"That's disgusting," said Naya.
When they finished, the clearing was completely clean. And then, surprise! Naya noticed something extraordinary.
"Tom! Look!"
All around the large purple flower, small green shoots have sprouted! There are fifteen of them!
"The rubbish was preventing the flowers from growing!" exclaimed Tom. "Now that we've cleaned up, nature is taking back its rights!"
The two friends are very proud. They decide to come back every Wednesday to take care of the clearing.
"That's our mission," Naya said, smiling.
"We're going to clean everything up!" said Tom happily.
They collect the waste one by one. Tom brought three different bags: a blue one for recycling, a brown one for compost, and a black one for the rest.
"Look, a plastic bottle!" said Naya. "It goes in the blue bag!"
They work for two hours. They find bottles, cans, packaging and even cigarette butts.
"That's disgusting," said Naya.
When they finished, the clearing was completely clean. And then, surprise! Naya noticed something extraordinary.
"Tom! Look!"
All around the large purple flower, small green shoots have sprouted! There are fifteen of them!
"The rubbish was preventing the flowers from growing!" exclaimed Tom. "Now that we've cleaned up, nature is taking back its rights!"
The two friends are very proud. They decide to come back every Wednesday to take care of the clearing.
"That's our mission," Naya said, smiling.
The next day after school, Naya hurried home. She had carefully packed her bag: gloves, several garbage bags, and a pair of pliers she had found in the garage.
"Where are you going with all that?" his little sister asks him.
"In the forest. I have an important mission!" Naya replied.
Tom is already at the clearing, sitting near the purple flower. He brought even more equipment than she did.
"Hi Naya! I was thinking last night. We should sort the waste. Look, I have three types of bags: a blue one for recycling, a brown one for compost, and a black one for everything else."
"Wow! You really prepared this well!" said Naya, impressed.
"My mother works for an environmental organization. She taught me a lot about waste sorting."
The two children put on their gloves and get to work.
"Look, a plastic bottle! It goes in the blue bag, right?"
"Exactly! That way, it can be recycled."
They advance into the clearing, inspecting every corner. Naya discovers cigarette butts hidden under the leaves.
"It's disgusting... And dangerous! It could have caused a fire!"
"And a single cigarette butt can pollute up to 500 liters of water," adds Tom.
As they work, the bags fill up. The blue bag is the fullest: bottles, cans, cardboard packaging. In the brown bag, they put the fruit peelings. The black bag receives the rest.
"How can people throw so much stuff into nature?" Naya sighed.
"Because they don't think. But we set an example!"
After two hours of work, the clearing has completely changed. The grass is finally breathing. The bushes no longer have plastic bags hanging from them.
Naya sat down to catch her breath. That's when she noticed something extraordinary.
"Tom! Look!"
All around the large purple flower, tiny green shoots have pushed through the soil. There are at least fifteen of them!
"They weren't here yesterday! I'm sure of it!"
Tom crouched down to get a better look.
"Do you know what that means? The waste was preventing the seeds from growing! The soil was too polluted."
"And now that we've cleaned everything up..."
"Now, nature is taking its course!"
The two children gazed at the tiny shoots in wonder. It was as if the forest was thanking them.
"This is the most beautiful reward," Naya murmured.
Tom takes out his notebook and draws the large flower surrounded by its new little sisters.
"My mother will be proud of us. It proves that even children can make a difference!"
"We should come back every Wednesday," suggests Naya. "To check that no one has left any new trash."
"Deal done!"
They shake hands solemnly.
As they leave with their bags of rubbish, Naya turns around one last time. The sun makes the purple petals shine.
"See you soon. We'll take good care of you."
That evening, Naya felt happy and useful. She understood something important: when we clean up nature, it gives back a hundredfold.
"Where are you going with all that?" his little sister asks him.
"In the forest. I have an important mission!" Naya replied.
Tom is already at the clearing, sitting near the purple flower. He brought even more equipment than she did.
"Hi Naya! I was thinking last night. We should sort the waste. Look, I have three types of bags: a blue one for recycling, a brown one for compost, and a black one for everything else."
"Wow! You really prepared this well!" said Naya, impressed.
"My mother works for an environmental organization. She taught me a lot about waste sorting."
The two children put on their gloves and get to work.
"Look, a plastic bottle! It goes in the blue bag, right?"
"Exactly! That way, it can be recycled."
They advance into the clearing, inspecting every corner. Naya discovers cigarette butts hidden under the leaves.
"It's disgusting... And dangerous! It could have caused a fire!"
"And a single cigarette butt can pollute up to 500 liters of water," adds Tom.
As they work, the bags fill up. The blue bag is the fullest: bottles, cans, cardboard packaging. In the brown bag, they put the fruit peelings. The black bag receives the rest.
"How can people throw so much stuff into nature?" Naya sighed.
"Because they don't think. But we set an example!"
After two hours of work, the clearing has completely changed. The grass is finally breathing. The bushes no longer have plastic bags hanging from them.
Naya sat down to catch her breath. That's when she noticed something extraordinary.
"Tom! Look!"
All around the large purple flower, tiny green shoots have pushed through the soil. There are at least fifteen of them!
"They weren't here yesterday! I'm sure of it!"
Tom crouched down to get a better look.
"Do you know what that means? The waste was preventing the seeds from growing! The soil was too polluted."
"And now that we've cleaned everything up..."
"Now, nature is taking its course!"
The two children gazed at the tiny shoots in wonder. It was as if the forest was thanking them.
"This is the most beautiful reward," Naya murmured.
Tom takes out his notebook and draws the large flower surrounded by its new little sisters.
"My mother will be proud of us. It proves that even children can make a difference!"
"We should come back every Wednesday," suggests Naya. "To check that no one has left any new trash."
"Deal done!"
They shake hands solemnly.
As they leave with their bags of rubbish, Naya turns around one last time. The sun makes the purple petals shine.
"See you soon. We'll take good care of you."
That evening, Naya felt happy and useful. She understood something important: when we clean up nature, it gives back a hundredfold.
The next day after school, Naya hurried home. She had carefully packed her bag: rubber gloves her mother used for gardening, several large garbage bags, and even a pair of pliers she had found in the garage. She had also brought two bottles of water and some biscuits, in case the work took a while.
"Where are you going with all that?" her little sister asks her as she watches her leave.
"In the forest. I have an important mission!" Naya replied with a mysterious smile.
She arrives at the clearing slightly out of breath. Tom is already there, sitting on a stone near the purple flower. He has brought even more equipment than she has: a large backpack filled with different colored garbage bags, gloves, and even a small notebook with a pencil.
"Hi Naya!" he called out cheerfully. "I was thinking about it last night. We should sort the rubbish while we're collecting. Look, I brought three types of bags: a blue one for recycling, a brown one for what can go in the compost, and a black one for everything else."
Naya is impressed.
"Wow! You really prepared that well!"
"My mother works for an environmental organization," Tom explains proudly. "She taught me a lot about waste sorting. She always says that every piece of waste that's sorted properly is a resource gained."
The two children put on their gloves and get to work. Tom notes down everything they collect in his notebook, to make statistics.
"Look, a plastic bottle!" said Naya, picking it up with her tongs. "It goes in the blue bag, right?"
"Exactly! That way, it can be recycled and transformed into something new."
They advance methodically into the clearing, inspecting every bush, every patch of grass. Naya discovers cigarette butts hidden under the dead leaves.
"It's disgusting..." she murmured. "And what's more, it's dangerous. It could have caused a fire!"
"And it takes years to decompose," adds Tom, putting them in the black bag. "My mother says a single cigarette butt can pollute up to 500 liters of water."
Naya opens her eyes wide.
"500 liters? That's enormous!"
As they work, the bags fill up. The blue bag for recycling fills up the fastest: plastic bottles, aluminum cans, cardboard packaging. In the brown bag, they put fruit peels and any food scraps they find. The black bag receives everything else.
"We've already collected 47 items!" announces Tom, consulting his notebook. "Including 23 plastic bottles, 8 cans, 12 various packages, and 4 plastic bags."
"How can people throw so much stuff into nature?" sighs Naya, discouraged.
"Because they don't think," Tom replied. "Or because they think someone else will clean up after them. But we set an example!"
After two hours of hard work, the clearing had been completely transformed. The grass could finally breathe, freed from the weight of the waste. The bushes were no longer adorned with plastic bags hanging from their branches. The ground no longer shimmered with the deceptive reflections of cans and metal packaging.
Naya sat down on the ground to catch her breath. She took a long sip of water, then bit into a biscuit. Tom did the same, admiring their work.
"We did a great job!" he said proudly.
That's when Naya notices somethingwhich makes her jump to her feet.
"Tom! Look!"
She points to the ground, near the large purple flower. Tom approaches and his eyes widen.
"Oh! That's... that's incredible!"
All around the main flower, tiny green shoots have pushed through the soil. And on some of them, tiny purple buds are beginning to appear. There are at least ten of them, maybe more.
"They weren't here yesterday!" exclaimed Naya, amazed. "I'm sure of it! I would have seen them!"
Tom crouched down to observe the new shoots more closely.
"Do you know what that means?" he said excitedly. "It means the waste was preventing the seeds from growing! The soil was so polluted that the new plants couldn't grow."
"And now that we've cleaned everything up..."
"Now, nature is taking its course!" Tom concludes with a big smile.
The two children stood for a long time gazing at the tiny shoots. It was as if the forest was thanking them for their work. As if it were saying to them: "You see? When you take care of me, I can flourish."
"This is the most beautiful reward we could have had," Naya murmured, her eyes shining with emotion.
"I'll draw them!" Tom suggests. "That way, we can follow their growth!"
He takes out his notebook and pencil and begins to sketch the large flower surrounded by its new little sisters. He draws intently, sticking his tongue out in concentration. Naya looks over his shoulder.
"You draw so well!" she exclaimed.
"Thank you! My older sister is teaching me. She's in art class."
Tom also adds a small drawing of the three bags full of rubbish they collected, with arrows and annotations.
"My mother will be proud of us," he said, closing his notebook. "And she can show these drawings to her charity. It proves that even children can make a difference!"
Before leaving, Naya counts the new shoots. She finds exactly fifteen.
"Fifteen new flowers!" she exclaimed. "If we continue to take care of this place, imagine how beautiful it will be in a few weeks!"
"You'll have to come back regularly," Tom said seriously. "To check that no one has left any new rubbish. And to water the flowers if it doesn't rain."
"Could we come every Wednesday afternoon?" suggests Naya.
"Deal done!"
They shake hands solemnly, like two partners signing an important contract.
As they left, laden with their bags of rubbish, Naya turned back one last time towards the clearing. The setting sun made the purple petals of the large flower shine, and the small green shoots seemed to dance gently in the breeze.
"See you soon," she murmured. "We'll take good care of you."
That evening, while carefully sorting the waste into the various recycling bins in her neighborhood, Naya felt happy and useful. She had understood something important: when we clean up nature and give it space to breathe, it repays us a hundredfold.
The clearing was their first victory. But Naya and Tom don't know it yet: this is only the beginning of their mission...
"Where are you going with all that?" her little sister asks her as she watches her leave.
"In the forest. I have an important mission!" Naya replied with a mysterious smile.
She arrives at the clearing slightly out of breath. Tom is already there, sitting on a stone near the purple flower. He has brought even more equipment than she has: a large backpack filled with different colored garbage bags, gloves, and even a small notebook with a pencil.
"Hi Naya!" he called out cheerfully. "I was thinking about it last night. We should sort the rubbish while we're collecting. Look, I brought three types of bags: a blue one for recycling, a brown one for what can go in the compost, and a black one for everything else."
Naya is impressed.
"Wow! You really prepared that well!"
"My mother works for an environmental organization," Tom explains proudly. "She taught me a lot about waste sorting. She always says that every piece of waste that's sorted properly is a resource gained."
The two children put on their gloves and get to work. Tom notes down everything they collect in his notebook, to make statistics.
"Look, a plastic bottle!" said Naya, picking it up with her tongs. "It goes in the blue bag, right?"
"Exactly! That way, it can be recycled and transformed into something new."
They advance methodically into the clearing, inspecting every bush, every patch of grass. Naya discovers cigarette butts hidden under the dead leaves.
"It's disgusting..." she murmured. "And what's more, it's dangerous. It could have caused a fire!"
"And it takes years to decompose," adds Tom, putting them in the black bag. "My mother says a single cigarette butt can pollute up to 500 liters of water."
Naya opens her eyes wide.
"500 liters? That's enormous!"
As they work, the bags fill up. The blue bag for recycling fills up the fastest: plastic bottles, aluminum cans, cardboard packaging. In the brown bag, they put fruit peels and any food scraps they find. The black bag receives everything else.
"We've already collected 47 items!" announces Tom, consulting his notebook. "Including 23 plastic bottles, 8 cans, 12 various packages, and 4 plastic bags."
"How can people throw so much stuff into nature?" sighs Naya, discouraged.
"Because they don't think," Tom replied. "Or because they think someone else will clean up after them. But we set an example!"
After two hours of hard work, the clearing had been completely transformed. The grass could finally breathe, freed from the weight of the waste. The bushes were no longer adorned with plastic bags hanging from their branches. The ground no longer shimmered with the deceptive reflections of cans and metal packaging.
Naya sat down on the ground to catch her breath. She took a long sip of water, then bit into a biscuit. Tom did the same, admiring their work.
"We did a great job!" he said proudly.
That's when Naya notices somethingwhich makes her jump to her feet.
"Tom! Look!"
She points to the ground, near the large purple flower. Tom approaches and his eyes widen.
"Oh! That's... that's incredible!"
All around the main flower, tiny green shoots have pushed through the soil. And on some of them, tiny purple buds are beginning to appear. There are at least ten of them, maybe more.
"They weren't here yesterday!" exclaimed Naya, amazed. "I'm sure of it! I would have seen them!"
Tom crouched down to observe the new shoots more closely.
"Do you know what that means?" he said excitedly. "It means the waste was preventing the seeds from growing! The soil was so polluted that the new plants couldn't grow."
"And now that we've cleaned everything up..."
"Now, nature is taking its course!" Tom concludes with a big smile.
The two children stood for a long time gazing at the tiny shoots. It was as if the forest was thanking them for their work. As if it were saying to them: "You see? When you take care of me, I can flourish."
"This is the most beautiful reward we could have had," Naya murmured, her eyes shining with emotion.
"I'll draw them!" Tom suggests. "That way, we can follow their growth!"
He takes out his notebook and pencil and begins to sketch the large flower surrounded by its new little sisters. He draws intently, sticking his tongue out in concentration. Naya looks over his shoulder.
"You draw so well!" she exclaimed.
"Thank you! My older sister is teaching me. She's in art class."
Tom also adds a small drawing of the three bags full of rubbish they collected, with arrows and annotations.
"My mother will be proud of us," he said, closing his notebook. "And she can show these drawings to her charity. It proves that even children can make a difference!"
Before leaving, Naya counts the new shoots. She finds exactly fifteen.
"Fifteen new flowers!" she exclaimed. "If we continue to take care of this place, imagine how beautiful it will be in a few weeks!"
"You'll have to come back regularly," Tom said seriously. "To check that no one has left any new rubbish. And to water the flowers if it doesn't rain."
"Could we come every Wednesday afternoon?" suggests Naya.
"Deal done!"
They shake hands solemnly, like two partners signing an important contract.
As they left, laden with their bags of rubbish, Naya turned back one last time towards the clearing. The setting sun made the purple petals of the large flower shine, and the small green shoots seemed to dance gently in the breeze.
"See you soon," she murmured. "We'll take good care of you."
That evening, while carefully sorting the waste into the various recycling bins in her neighborhood, Naya felt happy and useful. She had understood something important: when we clean up nature and give it space to breathe, it repays us a hundredfold.
The clearing was their first victory. But Naya and Tom don't know it yet: this is only the beginning of their mission...