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The angry ox lowered its head and snorted.

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"Let's run!" shouted Mandy.

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"Where?" Vinnie cried.

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"What's going on?" a voice said suddenly.

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A young boy about Mandy's age appeared.

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He spoke softly to the angry ox and patted its neck.

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"Well, we . . . ," stuttered Vinnie.

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"Did you come to see Budi?

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The fastest ox in the village?" the boy asked proudly.

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He tied a ribbon around the calm ox's head.

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"What's your name?" asked Mandy.

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"I'm Wayan, and these are my oxen, Budi and Gede," he replied.

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"Who are you?"

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The children introduced themselves.

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Wayan had black hair and eyes.

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He wore a long, layered skirt but no shirt.

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"Are you here for the races?"

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Wayan asked, tying a ribbon on the other ox.

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"Races?" asked Vinnie.

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Just then a girl walked up.

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She stopped when she saw Vinnie and Mandy.

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"Wayan!" she exclaimed. "Here are some flowers."

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Mandy introduced herself and Vinnie to the girl.

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"I am Wayan's younger sister, Nyoman," she said.

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"Why are you decorating the oxen?" asked Vinnie.

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The two animals were now decorated with ribbons and flowers.

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"So people know who owns them," explained Nyoman.

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"And it makes them look handsome."

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"What kind of race is it?" asked Mandy.

30
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"It's a race of the fastest oxen," Nyoman said.

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"It is a tradition.

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Long ago, farmers needed to plant the rice seed quickly.

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They needed to plant several crops a year.

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So they made their oxen plow faster and faster.

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Soon it became a contest."

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Nyoman and Wayan's parents walked up.

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"Are these your friends?"

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their father asked, smiling kindly.

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"Yes. Can they come to the race with us?" asked Wayan.

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"Of course, but we must hurry," replied his father.

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Wayan and his father led the oxen down the road.

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Vinnie and Mandy followed with Nyoman and her mother.

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"Wow! What is that?"

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Mandy pointed to a hill that looked like a tall, grassy staircase.

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"Those are rice fields," explained Nyoman.

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"They look like giant steps!" Vinnie said.

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"The farmers specially shape the land like that," said Nyoman.

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"Why?" asked Vinnie.

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"It helps them send water evenly to all the fields.

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Water is very important to rice fields.

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The rice farmers must work together to keep all these fields alive," explained Nyoman.

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The children saw narrow streams of water here and there.

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Nyoman shook her head at them.

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"How can you live in Bali and not know about rice fields or the races?"

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"Bali?" cried Mandy.

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She turned to Vinnie.

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"We're in Indonesia!"