Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child by Francisco Jiménez

are special." She made a face and walked away stomping her tiny feet.
    That evening, before going to bed, I checked on my pennies again. I then took off my shirt and carefully hung it on a nail in the wall and made sure my note pad did not fall out the pocket. After our prayers, we slipped into bed. I had trouble falling asleep.
I can't believe we are living in a house,
I thought to myself.
    My little brothers must have been excited too because they started whispering and giggling. Roberto tried to quiet them down, but they would not stop. "Listen," Roberto said in a loud whisper. "I hear
La Llorona
weeping upstairs."
    "I don't hear anything. You're just trying to scare us," Trampita answered.
    "No, I am not," Roberto responded. "Just be quiet and you'll hear her." There was dead silence for the rest of the night.
    The next day, before sunrise, Papá, Roberto, Trampita, and I went to pick grapes for Mr. Patrini. Mamá stayed home to take care of my little sister and brothers. I took my note pad with me. I wanted to learn some spelling rules while I worked, but I couldn't. The angry, blistering sun did not let me. By ten o'clock my shirt was soaking wet. I wiped my hands on my pants and carefully removed the note pad from my shirt pocket and took it to the
Carcachita
and left it there. I did not want it to get dirty and wet. By the end of the day, my whole body was covered with dust from the vineyards. My arms and hands looked like they were made of clay. I scraped the muddy layer off them with the hooked knife I used for cutting grapes.
    At sundown, when we got home, Mamá and Rorra drove to the store while Papá, Roberto, Trampita, and I stripped to our underwear and bathed in a trough that was behind the house. After we got dressed, I placed the note pad in the pocket of my clean shirt.
    When Mamá returned, I helped her with the groceries. "Did you get any pennies in change?" I asked.
    She looked in her purse and handed me one. It was made in 1939. "Can I have it?"
    "Of course,
mi'jito
" she answered.
    I went to our room to add it to my collection. I took out my coin box from underneath the mattress and removed the top. The first layer of white cotton was bare.
No, they have to be here,
I thought to myself. I swiftly removed the cotton and checked the second layer. Nothing. My 1910 and 1865 pennies were gone! I rushed out of the room, shouting, "My pennies! Someone took them!"
    When I got to the kitchen, Rorra ran and hid behind Mamá, who was standing by the stove preparing dinner. "Did you take my pennies?" I yelled at my sister. "If you did, give them to me!"
    Holding on to Mamá's leg with her left arm, Rorra extended her right hand and offered me two red gumballs. "I don't want your gum, I want my two pennies," I shouted. She dropped the gumballs and started whimpering.
    "Calm down, Panchito," Mamá said. Then looking down at my sister, she said, "Mi ja, did you take Panchito's pennies?" Rorra nodded sheepishly. "And what did you do with them?" Mamá continued. Rorra pointed to the gumballs on the floor. "Did you put the pennies in the gum machine at the store?" she asked.
    When my sister nodded again, my heart dropped to my stomach. I felt my face on fire. Everything blurred. I stormed out of the house, slammed the door behind me, sat on the front stairs, and cried.
    Seconds later, Mamá came out and sat beside me. "I know how disappointed you are,
mi'jito,
but your sister is only four years old," she said tenderly. Then clearing her throat, she continued. "Let me tell you a story I heard when I was a little girl. Long ago there lived a very smart ant who saved her pennies for so many years that she became rich. Many animals wanted to marry her, but they frightened her. The cat mewed too much, the parrot talked too much, and the dog barked too loud. A bull and a goat also scared her, but not a little brown mouse named
El Ratoncito
. He was quiet, intelligent, polite, and mannerly. They got married