The Adventures of Natividad and Toledo

en Espanol (Spanish version) (Las Aventuras de Natividad y Toledo)

auf Deutsch (German version) (Die Abenteuer von Natividad und Toledo)

Also visit: Mountain Voices

## This is a true story

These words were written for children aged 9 to 11 years to read by themselves. Younger children might enjoy the story with help from another child (a peer), a parent or a classroom assistant. Older children might especially enjoy the "Thinking Questions" at the end.

Images and English text by Keith Topping. Research by Val Pitkethly. Spanish translation by Mayra Crowe. German translation by Katharina Kopitzsch. Mandarin translation by Zheng Bin. Life by Natividad Bedon.

Copyright © 2001 under UK and US law by Keith Topping, Val Pitkethly and Natividad Bedon. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright holders.

His friends call him Nati for short, but his real name is Natividad.

He loves his horse, Toledo.

Nati and Toledo are both inspired by the mountains, where they often go exploring.

They live in a country called Peru, in South America. Here there are some very big, snowy mountains called the Andes.

The Andes are very beautiful - in some ways like paradise. In the summer there are many lovely flowers.

Even high in the mountains, you can also see very many different birds. These include huge birds called condors, that glide high over the peaks and passes. Condors can measure 10 feet (3 meters) from the tip of one wing to the other.

Natividad is now 74 years old, but he is still very fit, because he has never stopped exploring. Very often he leaves the well-trodden mountain trails (paths) and finds new ways where no one has gone before. Often the mountains are so steep and rocky that Nati must walk, leading Toledo. Or sometimes Toledo goes first, and Nati follows.

Toledo is a male horse - a stallion. From time to time, Nati gives his horse a new name. Just now he is called Toledo, like the President of the government of Peru. Before that he was called "Bombero" in Spanish, which means both "fireman" and "farter".

Nati speaks both Spanish (the official language of Peru) and Quechua (a South American Indian language).

He lives in a village called Chiquian, that is over 11,000 feet (3400 meters) up in the mountains.

There are wonderful views of the snow-capped mountains from Nati's front door. These mountains include Yerupaja (say it Yeh-roo-pah-hah). This is the second highest mountain in Peru at 21,766 feet (6634 meters), and the scene of many adventures.