Thanksgiving on Thursday - Mary Pope Osborne [8]
“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