The Road Beyond the Rice Fields

BIG STORYBOOK 1 The Road Beyond the Rice Fields Cover Page Title: The Road Beyond the Rice Fields Theme: Travel, Values, Self-Discovery Setting: Battambang and beyond Main Character: Sokha Page 1 – Life at Home Sokha lived in a small village near Battambang. Every morning, he helped his mother carry water. Every evening, he sat under the wooden house and listened to his grandfather’s stories. Sokha loved his village. But inside his heart, he wondered about the world beyond the rice fields. Page 2 – A New Journey One day, Sokha’s school planned a learning trip to another province. It was Sokha’s first long journey. Before he left, his grandfather held his hand. “When you walk far,” Grandfather said, “your values must walk with you.” Page 3 – A Bigger World On the bus, Sokha saw new roads and busy markets. People spoke loudly. Everything moved fast. Some children laughed at Sokha’s simple clothes. Sokha felt small and quiet. Page 4 – A Test of Values At the market, an old woman dropped her basket. Fruits rolled across the ground. Many people walked past her. Sokha stopped. He helped her pick up the fruit and bowed politely. Page 5 – Learning Through Action The old woman smiled. “You were taught well,” she said. Sokha felt something change inside him. He felt proud—not loud proud, but calm proud. Page 6 – Understanding Travel Later, Sokha visited a new temple. He removed his shoes and stood quietly. In that quiet moment, Sokha understood something important. Traveling did not change who he was. It showed him who he already was. Page 7 – Coming Home When Sokha returned home, he told his grandfather everything. “I traveled far,” Sokha said, “but I carried our values with me.” Grandfather smiled. “Then you truly traveled well.” Final Page – Moral Moral: Traveling teaches us about the world, but values teach us who we are.