Thanksgiving on Thursday (5 page)

Jack grabbed the water pot on the floor. He threw the water into the fire. The fire sizzled and smoke billowed up. When the smoke cleared, the fire was out.

But the turkey was completely black.

Jack buried his face in his hands.

“I don't believe it,” he said. “I just burned up the Pilgrims' turkey!”

“Stay calm,” said Annie. “I'll get Priscilla.”

“No, don't tell Priscilla,” moaned Jack.

“We have to tell Priscilla,” said Annie.

She hurried out of the house.

Jack lifted his head and stared at the burned turkey.

“Oh, man,” he whispered unhappily. The
Pilgrims had worked so hard to get their food. They had had such a terrible winter—especially Priscilla. And now he had ruined their first Thanksgiving!

The door opened. Annie pulled Priscilla over to the hearth.

“See!” said Annie. “The turkey fell into the fire! It burned up!”

“I did it,” Jack confessed.

Priscilla just stared at the burned turkey in the wet, messy hearth. Then she looked at Jack. He looked away from her.

“Ah, Jack,” Priscilla said softly. “Thou looks sad.”

He nodded.

“I ruined everything,” he mumbled.

“No, thou did not,” said Priscilla. She reached out her hand. “Come.”

Priscilla led Jack and Annie out into the bright autumn light.

“Look,” she said.

Jack saw Pilgrim women and kids walking to the tables. They all carried wooden platters piled with food.

“In the other houses, there was cooking also,” said Priscilla.

Jack saw roasted ducks, turkeys, and deer meat. He saw baked fish, lobsters, eels, clams, and oysters.

He saw pumpkins, beans and corn, dried plums, berries and roasted nuts, steamy pots of soups and puddings, and loaves of baked breads.

“We had a very good harvest this fall,” said Priscilla. “We stored many vegetables. We salted our fish and cured our meat. And today, our Wampanoag neighbors brought
back five deer from the forest for our feast.”

Jack was relieved to see all the food.

Priscilla knelt down and looked him in the eye.

“See, thou did not ruin anything, Jack,” she said. “Thou and Annie have helped me a lot this day. You have both made me laugh. And you have both acted with kind hearts.”

Jack was amazed. He thought he'd been no help at all.

“Come,” said Priscilla. “Let us join the others. Art thou hungry?”

Jack nodded. Seeing all the platters of food had made him
really
hungry.

He and Annie followed Priscilla.

In the golden glow of autumn light, Jack and Annie joined the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag at the long tables.

Priscilla gave Jack and Annie wooden
plates. She gave them big white cloth napkins. Then she served them plenty of food.

Before they started to eat, Governor Bradford stood up to speak.

“Those of us who came here on the
Mayflower
did not know how to live in this land,” he said. “But Squanto came to help us. And today, we give thanks for him, and for the peace we share with his people, and for all our great blessings.”

Governor Bradford looked at Jack and Annie.

“Welcome to our feast,” he said. “At this moment, three worlds—
your
world,
our
world, and the world of the Wampanoag—are not three. They are one. 'Tis the magic of community.”

“Indeed!” said Annie. She clapped her hands and looked at Jack. “We did it,” she whispered.

Did what?
thought Jack.

Governor Bradford then put his napkin over his shoulder.

“Now!” he said. “Let us feast till our bellies are filled!”

As everyone started to eat, Annie leaned close to Jack.

“We found the special magic,” she whispered. “The
magic of community
. Remember the rhyme?” She repeated Morgan's words:

“To find a special magic,

When work and toil are done,

Gather all together,

Turn three worlds into one.”

“Oh, man,” said Jack. He'd forgotten all about it.

“We can go home now,” said Annie.

“No way,” said Jack. “We have to eat first.”

Jack and Annie used their fingers to pick
up their food. And they ate and ate and ate. Jack tried everything on his plate—except a little bit of eel and two clams. Everything he
did
eat, he liked—even the turnips.

Food really tastes good,
he thought as he chewed,
when you eat it outside, on a beautiful day, with lots of nice people.

Slowly the feast came to an end. The guests wiped their plates with their last bits of bread. Then they wiped their hands and faces with their napkins.

Jack and Annie stood up.

“We have to go home,” Annie said to Priscilla.

“Ah, thou must go back to thine own community now,” said Priscilla.

Annie nodded. Then she kissed Priscilla on the cheek.

“Thanks for everything,” Annie said.

Jack wanted to kiss Priscilla, too, but he was too shy.

“Thanks, Priscilla,” he said.

“I thank
thee,
Jack,” she said. Then she leaned over and kissed
his
cheek.

Jack felt his face grow red.

“Excuse me, sir,” Annie said to Governor Bradford. “But we must leave now.”

“Oh, but we have not yet taught thee how to grow corn!” said the little girl Mary.

Squanto stood up.

“Come,” he said. “I will walk Jack and Annie back to the forest. I will teach them.”

“Oh, thou does not have to do that,” Jack said quickly. He feared that once they were alone, Squanto would figure out they'd never met before.

But Squanto only smiled and waited for them to follow.

“Bye, everyone!” said Annie, waving.

Jack waved, too. All the Pilgrims and Wampanoag waved back at them. The skinny dog barked.

Squanto led Jack and Annie away from the village toward the autumn woods. As they passed the cornfield, the dried stalks swayed in the breeze. They made
shushing
sounds.

Squanto stopped walking. He pointed to the field.

“You must plant corn in the spring,” he said. “Put the seed in the ground when the oak-tree bud is as small as a mouse's ear.”

“Oh, wait, please,” said Jack. He slipped his notebook and pencil out of his bag. It was
the first time he'd had a chance to take notes all day. He wrote:

Then he looked up at Squanto and nodded.

“Dig holes and put two rotting fish in each hole,” said Squanto.

“Rotting fish?”
said Annie, making a face.

“Yes, rotting fish is good food for the soil,” said Squanto. “On top of the fish, place four corn seeds. Then cover them with dirt.”

Jack quickly wrote:

“Got it,” he said, looking up.

“I give you these corn seeds to take
home,” said Squanto. He held up a small pouch.

“Thanks,” said Annie, taking the pouch.

“Thanks a lot,” said Jack. “Well, good-bye.” Jack was eager to get going—before Squanto could ask them questions about the past.

“Wait, I have a question,” said Annie. “Squanto, why did you say you remembered us?”

Squanto's dark eyes twinkled. “I did not say I remembered
you,
” he said. “I only said
I remember
.”

“What did you remember?” asked Annie.

“I remembered what it was like to be from a different world,” said Squanto. “Long ago, I lived with my people on this shore. But one day, men came in ships. They took me to
Europe as a slave. In that new land, I was a stranger. I felt different and afraid. I saw the same fear in your eyes today. So I tried to help you.”

Annie smiled. “We thank thee,” she said.

“And now
you
must always be kind to those who feel different and afraid,” said Squanto. “Remember what you felt today.”