Parrot to the Rescue in Mauritian Creole by Mia Bowen Copyright © 2014. All Rights Reserved
	Jack and Lisa were on school holidays, but it hadn't been a fun holidays yet. It had been raining every day!
"Look!" cried Jack, pointing out the window. "Finally the sun is out!" "Why don't you go on a picnic? You can spend all day outside," suggested Mum.
	First they went down to the shed to find Kato-ver. "Alo! Kot nou pou ale zordi?" squawked Kato-ver.
"Nou pou ale lak fer enn piknik," replied Jack.
	"Nou ale lak alor!" squawked Kato-ver. And with a big flap of the wings, he was off leading the way up the path.
"Fer so," said Lisa, wiping her face with her hand. "Mo bizin bwar kirsoz." "Mwa ousi mo gagn swaf," said Jack. "Kot limonad la?"
Suddenly, something large swooped down from the sky towards Lisa. Lisa screamed, "Ayo!! Ed mwa! Ed mwa!"
It was a ferocious magpie and she was on the attack. She thought they were too close to her nest.
"Ki ape arive?" cried Jack in alarm. "Les mwa trankil!" shouted Jack, flapping his arms around his head as the magpie targeted him. "Mo pou ed zot!" squawked Kato-ver. He chased the magpie high up into the tree, while Jack and Lisa disappeared down the path.
	They ran and ran and ran until they were out of breath ... "Slow down!" cried Lisa. "I think we're lost! I can't see the way to the lake any more."
Lisa looked up into the sky and saw Kato-ver flying above. "Arete, Kato-ver!" called Lisa. "Nou finn perdi! Kot simin la? Nou pa kapav trouv li."
	"Mo kapav rod li pou zot!" squawked Kato-ver as he zoomed down through the trees and along the path. "Swiv mwa!" he screeched.
"Ralanti!" puffed Jack. "Nou pa kapav anvole kouma twa! Nou bizin traver bann bwa la," he called.
"Get lak la! Anfin!" cried Lisa.
"Mersi pou to led, Kato-ver!" said Jack. "Pena problem," replied Kato-ver, preening his feathers in embarrassment.
	They sat down beside the lake and started to set up their picnic.
First, they started with some fruit. Kato-ver called out as his favourite food appeared out of the backpack ...
"... enn pes, frez, abriko, enn banann, enn oranz ..."
"... seriz, enn pwar, rezin ..."
Kato-ver eyed all the food with interest as it was placed on the picnic blanket. "Mo gagn mari fin. Mo kapav manz sa, silvouple?" he asked, bobbing his head towards a slice of fruit cake.
...............	"Pa manz sa!" said Lisa, grabbing the cake. "Li kouver ek fourmi." She tried to brush all the ants off. It was difficult. "Fourmi gagn fin ..." said Jack. "Ek zot kontan gato." "Pa trakase!" squawked Kato-ver. "Mo kontan gato ek mo kontan fourmi ousi!" Lisa raised her eyebrows at Jack. "Ugghhhh!" laughed Jack and Lisa together.
"Dipin!" squawked Kato-ver. "To finn rapel dipin?" "Wi," replied Lisa. "Mo pa finn bliye li." Kato-ver happily grabbed a chunk of bread in his beak.
"To ena fromaz?" asked Jack. "Wi! Ala li la," replied Lisa as she pulled it out of the backpack. "Donn mwa enn kouto, silvouple," he added. "Mersi," mumbled Jack through a mouthful of cheese and bread. They all ate for a while, chatting and laughing together.
"Li sifizan?" asked Lisa. "Zot le ankor?" "Non ... mo lestoma fer mal. Kapav li tro boukou," said Jack. "Zame!" squawked Kato-ver. They all laughed.
They spent the rest of the afternoon climbing trees, exploring and running around.
The sun was starting to get very low in the sky. "Li tar," squawked Kato-ver. "Wi, nou bizin retourn lakaz aster," said Jack.
They packed up their things and headed home down the path away from the lake .... tired, happy and not the slightest bit hungry. Soon they could see the roof of their house through the trees. It was good to be home.
...............	Magpie was happy to be alone again. She was even happier when she discovered some bread they had left behind.