California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom
Increasing Awareness and Understanding of Agriculture Among California's Educators and Students
The Grape That Couldn't Decide What to Be
By Riley Tomczak
4th Grade, Amador County
Ione Elementary School - Regia Sargent, Teacher

Once upon a time there was a grape that couldn't decide what to be, so first he asked his mom. She was busy cleaning their part of the vine when the little grape said to her, "Mom, I don't know what I want to be…"

"Well, there are many things. Your great-grandfather was a raisin. They have lots of nutrition and can prevent the onset of certain chronic diseases. That's why I want you to be a raisin," his mom declared.

"N'aaaaah," said the little grape, "I don't want to bake on the vine all summer."

So then the little grape asked his dad. He said, "Dad, I don't know what I want to be. Can you help me?"

His dad said, "Sure, son. Why don't you become grape jelly? Grape jelly has virtually no fat."

"Ugh... I don't want to be smushed while they turn me into jelly."

So the little grape asked his grandpa. He said, "Grandpa, do you think you could help me figure out what I want to be?"

"OK," said Grandpa Grape. "I think you should be red wine because it lowers peoples' cholesterol."

"I don't think so Grandpa, because I don't want to be in a barrel for months and months."

Finally, the little grape thought and thought and thought. And then he knew what he wanted to be!

"I'm going to be a table grape because they don't sit on a vine all summer getting hot and dried out, and they don't get smushed to jelly and they don't have to be in a barrel for months at a time."

"Yes'siree, a table grape, that's what I'll be," said the little grape.

Video Clips

The full-length animated video clip of this winning story is now available.

Video clips require: QuickTime Player

The Grape That Couldn't Decide What to Be (6.02 MB)

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Updated: April 27, 2006