Hello and welcome to Storytime with The Met. My name is Julie Marie and I'm so excited to see you
today. Please join us every Thursday at 12 o'clock for new stories and activities. Now grab a cozy
spot and let's get started. We're going to begin with our Storytime song just like we do at the
museum. Sing with me one...two...three. Welcome friends get ready get set for Storytime with
The Met where we love to read and sing and look at works of art and picture books. We'll use our
eyes to look and see. We'll use our ears to hear stories now take a seat and give.
Let's begin with our first book.
Good job everybody. Today our book is
The Water Princess written by Susan Verde and illustrated by Peter H Reynolds.
I am princess Gie Gie.
My kingdom...the African sky, so wide and so close.
I can almost touch the sharp edges of the stars.
Can you reach up can you reach the stars?
I can tame the wild dogs with my song. I can make the tall grass sway when I dance. I can
make the wind play hide and seek. But I cannot make the water come closer. I cannot make the
water run clearer. No matter what I command. Can you command something try and make it come to you?
She looks very determined.
It is early morning still dark. My mother wakes me. "Gie Gie, my princess
it's time to get up. We must collect the water."
"Water, come! Do not make me wake before even the sun is out of bed!" I demand. "Come, please,"
I say. But the water won't listen, and I know we will have to walk so far to get to the well.
Do you see her laying there trying to command the water while her mother waits for her to get ready?
I am too sleepy to put on my crown. I think of the pot that will rest on my braids instead.
The thirst comes quick - dry lips, dry throat. I squeeze my eyes shut. I see it
clear. I dip my toes in it cool. I scoop it up and bring it to my lips. Can you sip the water?
Slowly, I open my eyes. Nothing. I kick the dust.
Do you think the dust helped get the water into her pot?
I grab my empty pot and place it upon my head. My mother does the same and our journey begins
full of song. My maman adds her melody. Our steps are light; we twirl and laugh together.
The miles give us room to dance. Do you dance to make time go by faste? I love dancing when
there's nothing to do. Halfway there we stop for a moment at the Karite tree, long enough
to grab a handful of sweet shea nuts for energy. Do you see her and her mom munching on some nuts?
Looks like the only shade in that long long walk. We can keep the dance going just a little longer.
"Maman, are we there yet?" Finally, I hear the water rushing from the well.
The giggles of my friends. The chatters of the women.
Some have traveled further than I, only to return home when the sun has gone to bed.
Maman holds our place while I play with friends. The dance continues. The water
is flowing. See all of the other moms in the background waiting their turn?
Pots filling with the dusty earth colored liquid. "Gei Gei. Come. Maintenant!" My turn now.
The dance home has slowed to careful steps. My thirst so heavy, like the full pot I carry.
Our song is softer now. Our shoulders ache; our feet cramp. I see home at last.
Such a good feeling when you go far away and you finally see home.
My mom boils enough water for drinking. We wait. We wash our clothes. We prepare
food for cooking. My father comes quickly from the fields to share in the drink and the meal.
He scoops me up. "My princess, you have returned with the water." Look at that big lovable hug. Can
you give yourself a big tight hug? Now find your grownup, and give your growing up a big tight hug.
"Drink," Maman says. Finally. Every sip fills me with energy.
I want to make it last, but I can't. I gulp it down.
Clothes and body clean, I sing to the dogs. I dance with the tall grass. I hide from the wind.
Maman brings me one last cup that she saved for me. "Drink ,my princess.
Sleep, my princess. Tomorrow we journey again." "Maman," I say as I close my eyes.
"Why is the water so far? Why is the water not clear? Where is our water?"
"Sleep," she says. "Dream," she says. "Someday you will find a way, my princess. Someday."
I am princess Gei Gei. My kingdom? The African sky. The dusty earth. And someday,
the flowing, cool, crystal-clear water. Someday...
You see her pot that she carried on her head? Every day Gie Gie, and her mom,
and so many other children travel very, very far to get their daily water. Or their water
for a few days. Because they live in an area that doesn't have cool, clean drinking water.
In order for them to drink that water, they then have to prepare it just like Gei Gei's mom.
They had to boil it so it'll be clean and drinkable. So that they can make their meals. Wash
their clothes. And be the strong princess that Gei Gei is. As I was reading this book, I kept
looking at that pot that Gei Gei had to carry on her head. It's so beautiful. Look at this. It has
markings on it and it's just the right size for Gei Gei. But at the same time it looks very big.
In our American Wing, we have this big beautiful pot. It's a storage jar that was made in 1858.
It was made by an enslaved African-American named David Drake. He made this big beautiful clay pot
and on it he signed his name. He dated it. And he also wrote poetry. Not only was he a potter,
but he was a poet. And he wrote amazing things on the things that he created.
This gave everyone the opportunity to learn about what he was doing and what he was going through.
Just like our story where Gei Gei shared her experience so that people will know what she's
doing and what she's going through. I wanted to do the same thing and I kept thinking about
David Drake's pot and Gei Gei's pot and so I made this tiny little clay pot. It's not quite as big
as Gei Gei's. It doesn't quite fit on my head the way that Gei Gei's does
but I plan to keep it on my desk, so that when I'm writing poetry like David Drake,
I can sit and I think about Gei Gei. Think about that water princess who is going every day to help
nourish her family. Give them cool, clean water to drink. And how she can wish that someday,
someday she'll be closer so she can sleep a little bit longer. If you have some clay, or
play-doh, or model magic - anything - you can make your own clay pot, too. Or if you don't
have that you can find a pot that you have at home and decorate it as well. You can have it for your
memory to think about what you can do to help your family. What you can do to help prepare your food.
Prepare your water and nourish and quench their thirst. Just like Gei Gei did. Thank
you for joining me today for Storytime and i hope you join us every Thursday. Bye!