“How I Spent Labour Day” by Donald Duck, 1931

Grandpa’s composition workbook, c. 1931

Today in Canada it is Labour Day, a great excuse to have a long weekend in September. Four years ago, I wished so much that I was in labour, being five days overdue with my first baby, largely so that I could say I laboured on Labour Day. But it was not to be. Lillia was born that Friday, September 7th.

Since I’ve just been writing about Grandpa in my last post, I thought I would repost the amazing treasure I have: a story Grandpa wrote for school between 1929-1931:

How I spent Labour Day, page 1

How I Spent Labour Day

by Donald E. Duck (my grandfather, written c. 1931). [Helene was his older sister, my great aunt.]

On Monday morning I started to make a flower bed of my own.  I had to dig sods and it was hard work.  My mother wanted some elderberries and some ploughing done.

Helene and I went down and got the team up.  We went and got the elderberries and then went to get the plough.  I wanted to tie it on behind the wagon, but Helene wouldn’t.  She wanted to lift it on the wagon.  It was too heavy for us.  Pretty soon my aunt and my grandmother came along and we put it on the wagon.

After dinner Helen and I went down to the barn and got the team.  When we went to hitch the team on the plough we found there was no shear on it.  Art went to the other place and got one.  Mother wanted Dad to plough a furrow and then take the sod out.  The Eberle boys came up and Bill had the wagon and I the wheelbarrow drawing sods.  We took them down to the dam with the team and wagon.

After we got done we had a game of ball.  The boat-races were that day so, we went down to Eberle’s to listen to them over the radio.  After supper we went over to Middleton’s.

If you enjoyed that story, you might also like this one.

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