Sophie Sea to Sea

by Norma Charles

  The kite lifted her higher. And higher. And still she held on. Now she was sailing right over Jake’s astonished face.

  “Sophie! Come down! Sophie-eee!” The wind swept his voice up to her.

  Try as she might, she couldn’t go down. She sailed over the shrubs, over bushes, over gardens.

  She was flying over her own back garden now. There was her mother taking clothes off the clothesline.

  “Sophie!” Maman shouted, dropping the clothes basket. “Sophie! Let go! Oh my heavens, mon enfant! Let go!” She dashed down the lane after her.

  Sophie skimmed the tops of the rooves high in the air, the wind stroking her cheeks, her neck, her bare shoulders.

  At last she was Star Girl!

  Suddenly an enormous tree appeared in front of her. Old Man Anderson’s cherry tree! Sophie flung herself against the branches and wrapped her arms around them. In a flurry of blossoms, she came to a stop.

  Before she had a chance to draw a deep breath, Jake, her mother and Old Man Anderson had raced to the tree.

  “Sophie! Sophie! Are you hurt? Are you all right?”

  Except for a few scratches and bruises, she was perfectly fine. When she slithered down from the tree, the first thing Maman did was hug and kiss her because she was so relieved she was safe.

  Then she scowled at her. “Sophie LaGrange! Flying around on a kite is the most unladylike thing I’ve ever heard of!” she scolded. “Where did you ever get such a crazy idea? What ever are we going to do with you?”

  But Sophie just smiled. Star Girl always knew exactly what to do.

  YUKON TERRITORY QUICK FACTS

  Yukon’s name comes from the Kutchin word, Yu-kun-ah which means “Great river”.

  Population: 30,700 (1999)

  Size: 483,450 sq. km

  Capital: Whitehorse

  Main Industries: Mining, tourism

  Flower: Fireweed

  Bird: Common Raven

  Canada’s highest mountain: Mount Logan, 5952 m

  History:

  Thousands of years ago, people crossed the Bering strait from Asia and migrated here, trapping and fishing the Arctic coast. In 1741 Russia claimed Alaska and Russian explorers traded with the Inuit. In 1825, Britain signed a treaty, agreeing on the present boundary between Alaska and the Yukon. The Hudson’s Bay Company built trading posts to trade furs. Soon missionaries arrived to establish churches. Then in 1898, gold was discovered near the Klondike River which attracted thousands of gold seekers. Yukon became a federal territory in 1898. Other minerals, copper, lead, zinc were discovered. Mining and tourism now provide most of the jobs in this territory.

  NORTHWEST TERRITORIES QUICK FACTS

  Northwest Territories recently became two independent regions. On April 1, 1999, the northeastern section became a self-governing Inuit community called Nunavut which means “Our Land” in Innu. The southwestern section is called Denedeh which means “Land of the People”.

  Population: 68,200 (1999)

  Size: 3,426,320 sq. km

  Capital: Yellowknife

  Main Industries: Mining, oil, tourism

  Flower: Mountain avens

  Bird: Gyrfalcon

  Tree: Jack Pine

  History:

  Over 12,000 years ago, ancestors of the Dene Nation crossed the Bering Strait from Siberia. They survived by hunting seal and polar bears. In 1771, Samuel Hearne travelled as far as Great Slave Lake and in 1789 Alexander Mackenzie followed a gigantic river to its mouth at the Beaufort Sea. The river was later named the Mackenzie. The Territories entered confederation in 1870 and in 1905, the 60th parallel of latitude was chosen as its southern boundary. Minerals were found in the Great Slave Lake region in the 1930s and settlers from the south came to work the mines. Tourism has also become a major industry.

  Glossary

  Allons-y! Let’s go!

  Au revoir Good-bye

  Baguette Long narrow loaf of French bread

  Bienvenue Welcome

  Bonjour Hello, good day

  Boulangerie Bakery

  Chênes Oaks

  Chérie Dear, sweetie

  Chiens Dogs

  Crêpes large flat pancakes

  D.P. Displaced person. A person who had no home or country after the Second World War; a refugee

  Enfant Child

  Entrez Enter

  Epicerie Grocery store

  Fille Daughter

  Grand’maman Grandmother

  Madame Missus

  Mademoiselle Miss

  Maman Mother

  Marchons Let’s walk

  Mon enfant My child

  Oui Yes

  Papa Dad

  Petit ange Little angel

  Petit bébé Little baby

  Pour I’été for summer

  Reste tranquille Be quiet

  Sacré Bleu! Confound it!

  Souliers Shoes

  Tarte aux Bleuets Blueberry pie

  Tu Comprends? Do you understand?

  Vite! Quickly! Hurry!