world cultures · Ages 6-8

Why Did the Rooftops Wear Grass?

In the Faroe Islands, a child learns how turf roofs helped keep homes warmer and made villages blend into windy green hills.

The whole story

1. At breakfast time, Elin climbed the green hill above her village. She touched the grass on a rooftop. “Why do our houses wear lawns?”

2. A fine rain began to fall. It tapped the roof, slid through the grass, and landed on Elin’s nose. The house stayed quiet and dry.

3. Then the wind came whistling from the sea. It tugged Elin’s cap and shook the grass. The roof held on.

4. Inside, Elin asked her grandmother. Her grandmother pointed to the thick roof above them. “Grass is a cosy blanket for a house,” she said.

5. The turf was laid over strong wooden beams and a layer of earth. Its roots held the green blanket together. “It keeps the warm air in,” Grandmother said.

6. “And when the wind blows cold,” Grandmother added, “the turf helps keep the warmth inside.” Elin looked at the houses below. They seemed tucked into the hills.

7. Elin wanted to help. With Grandmother’s care, she placed one little patch of turf on the shed. A sheep inspected it and sneezed.

8. That evening, Elin understood. In the Faroe Islands, turf roofs helped keep homes warmer, and they let villages blend into the windy green hills. The houses wore grass for good reasons—and looked cosy doing it.

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