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19 THE FIRST THANKSGIVING DAY

Time—November, 1621

Scene—A Log House in Plymouth Colony

[An iron pot hangs over an open fire, and in it a porridge of Indian meal is steaming. Betty and Edward sit on the fireplace seat. The Mother spins,Aunt Ruth knits, and Mary sews.]

Mo ther. Turn that largest log, Edward. The air grows sharp. We must have a bright fire for father’s return. Robert and Richard will soon be here, too.

Betty. Where are they, mother?

Mo ther. Father is at the town-meeting. Richard and Robert are helping Isaac Allerton to build his house.

au nt ruth. [Looking up from her knitting.] Hard work seems to agreewith the lads. They are doing well, too. They have helped in the building of nearly every house in the village. They will be master-builders before we know it.

Mo ther. Stir the samp, Betty. Our master-builders will be hungry,and supper must not be late.

Ma ry. You are always kind and thoughtful. I shall never forget your goodness to me since my dear father and mother died in the terrible days of the great sickness. [She bows her head and weeps gently.]

Mo ther. [Cheerfully.] Wipe away those tears, Mary, and let us think of our many mercies. The best cure for sorrow is work, and that you have had in plenty here. You have been a great help to us. I am glad that you were sent here when the homeless were divided amongst us.

Be tty. I am glad, too, that you live with us, Mary. You teach me so many useful things. May I get my sampler and work on it now, while you sew? Will you show me what stitches to take next?

Mo ther. All in good time, Betty, but just now you must watch the porridge, and stir it when needful.

edward. [Eagerly.] I hear steps, mother!

Mo ther. It must be your Father. Run quickly, Betty, and open the door. Stir that log, Edward.

Be tty. [Looking out of window.] It is father, and John Alden is with him.

Father and John Alden Enter.

Fa ther. Come in, John, and sit by our fire for a little while. The good wife will be glad to have a chat with you ere you go on your way.

Jo hn alden. [Nodding to all.] Good-day to you. How warm and comfortable you are here!

Mo ther. Yes, things are much better with Plymouth Colony than they were a year ago.

Mary. Oh, that terrible winter! I can never forget it.

Mo ther. It is better to think of the good we have than to grieve over what we cannot change.

Fa ther. We have much to be thankful for. Less than a year ago we were doling out our small supply of Indian com, and fearing that soon even that would be gone.

Jo hn alden. Well do I remember the day when our ration was but five kernels each. Now we have food in plenty. [He goes to fire and warms hands.]

au nt ruth. How thankful we should be that our lives were spared in that dreadful time, and that our harvest has been abundant.

Fa ther. That is what Governor Bradford said today in the townmeeting, and so he has set a day for public thanksgiving.

We are to gather at the meeting-house for prayer and praise.

Afterwards there is to be a great feast. For three days we are to make merry.

Mo ther. Governor Bradford sets us all a good example. None of us can forget that sad day, ere we had left the Mayflowe, when he came back to the ship to find his wife dead by drowning.Yet no one ever saw him give way to selfish grief.

Jo hn alden. And in the time of the great sickness he and Miles Standish were untiring in their loving care for the sick and dying.

Ma ry. It seems hard that our brave Captain’s love and care could not save the life of sweet Rose Standish.

Mo ther. When sorrow is bravely borne it makes the heart tender.Miles Standish is a bluff soldier, but no one has a kinder heart.ed ward. [Suddenly interrupting.] Oh, father! tell us about the feast.

Are the children to go?

Fa ther. Everyone is to go. Even the Indians are to be bidden, that thus they may learn we are truly their friends, and that we wish to share our abundance with them.

ed ward. [Getting up and going to Father.] But the feast, father! Dotell us about the feast!

Fa ther. In good time you shall hear about the feast, but a thankful heart is better than a feast. Do not forget to give thanks in your heart for our present peace and plenty.

Be tty. Oh, but we do give thanks, father! Every day of our lives we are glad that we are no longer hungry.

Ma ry. And we give thanks that Squanto is our friend and helps us to be friendly with the other Indians.

Be tty. They look so savage and so strong, father, and there are so many of them! Every night when I climb to our dark loft to sleep I am glad that we do not need to fear the Indians.

ed ward. [Going to Betty and speaking proudly.] When I am a man,Betty, I will be a soldier like Captain Miles Standish. I will carry a match-lock and a sword. Then you need never fear the Indians.Fa ther. Let us hope that Massasoit and his men may keep the peace with us so well that there will be no need for matchlocks and swords when you are a man, Edward.

Mo ther. Squanto is a true friend to us. He has been a great help in this new home of ours. He will do all he can in helping us to keep peace with Massasoit.

Jo hn alden. He has taught us many things. We knew nothing about maize until he taught us to plant it in hills.

Fa ther. [Nodding his approved.] And to hoe the earth around the stalks, if we would have fat ears.

ed ward. Squanto taught Robert and Richard how to catch eels.

They go down to the shore and tread them out of the mud with their feet. Sometimes the mud is full of fat eels. Oh, I wish I were as big as Richard, so that I might learn to tread out eels! [In his excitement he goes through the motion of treading out eels.]

Mo ther. Often we would have gone hungry, had it not been for a pot of good eel broth.

au nt ruth. Squanto showed the lads where to find lobsters, too,and how to catch them.

Ma rt. And he taught us how to pound the maize into meal, and how to cook the meal.

Be tty. [Leaving kettle and going to Mother.] Mother, will you teachme how to make a journey-cake from pounded meal?

Mo ther. Yes, Betty, but do not forget to stir the meal in the kettle,else we may have scorched samp before we have a journey-cake.

[Betty goes back hastily to the fire-sent and agam stirs the samp. At this moment laughter and boyish voices are heard outside. The door suddenly opens, and the two lads, Robert and Richard, enter.]

au nt ruth. Here are our builders. How did Isaac Allerton’s house fare at your hands today?

ro Bert. It is almost finished. There were five of us at work on it this afternoon.

Fa ther. You have done well. This is the seventh dwelling-house in Plymouth; with the meeting-house and the store-houses it makes a year’s work that our builders may be proud of. [A knock on the door is heard.] Hurry and open the door, Richard.

Priscilla Mullens Enters.

Mo ther. Good-day to you, Priscilla. How is it that you are out at this time of day? You are always so busy for others when it nears the time for the evening meal. [Gives Priscilla a chair near the fire]

Pri scilla. It is the news of the great feast that has brought me here when I should be at the fire-side stirring samp, like Betty.I came to see if you can spare Mary to help me tomorrow. Do you know that Massasoit and his ninety men are to be here for three days? Is not that a goodly number for the four busy wives of Plymouth to feed?

Mo ther. It is true, Priscilla, that the great sickness left but four wives in the Colony, but the maidens are strong and willing.You are but a maiden, Priscilla, but you have a woman’s heart,and as I see you so cheerful and so busy day after day, you seem to me to have the strength and the will of ten.

au nt ruth. We must all work to prepare for the feast. It is well that we have such a goodly supply of plums and grapes.

Mo ther. This feast will not be like our English feasts. We cannot make the old dainties. We have neither milk nor eggs. We have no good beef and mutton, and no flour to make fine bread.

Fat her. [Cheerily.] We must not wish for these things, wife. We have found a land of freedom. We will take what it can give us and be thankful.

Mo ther. I know; I know! We will do our best.

au nt ruth. We have an abundance of corn for samp and hominy and Betty’s journey-cakes.

Pri scilla. I have been trying my hand at these great golden pumpkins.

They make fine pie. I want Mary to help me make many of them.

au nt ruth. [Moving her chair nearer to Priscilla.] We have heard ofyour pumpkin pies. Now every cook in the colony wants to try her skill at them. There will be no lack of pumpkin pies at the Governor’s Thanksgiving feast.

Pri scilla. Tomorrow we must get up early. The days will not be long enough for all we have to do.

Mo ther. And night is a poor time to work, when our only light is fire light and a fish-oil lamp.

Ma ry. I wish we had the tallow candles of England.

Fa ther. Have patience. In good time we shall be able to send a ship’s load back to England. Then we may get cows in return, and we shall no longer miss the milk and butter and cheese, and the beef and tallow, of our English home.

Jo hn alden. Governor Bradford says that now the harvest is over we must get together a cargo of beaver-fur and sassafras to send back on the next ship that brings colonists to Plymouth.

Pri scilla. [Arising.] I must go, now, to make supper for our household.

Jo hn alden. [Hastily arising.] I will walk home with you, Priscilla,if I may.

Priscilla and John Alden Go Out.

ed ward. [Going over to his Mother.] Since Priscilla and Mary are to make so many pumpkin pies for the feast, may I have two pieces, mother?

Mo ther. He who eats must first earn. What can you do for the great feast, Edward?

ed ward. Oh, I had not thought of that! Let me see! I can bring wood for the fire and carry water.

Be tty. And I can scour the trenchers, and rub the pewter platters until they shine. Mother says that dingy pewter is the housekeeper’s disgrace.

Fa ther. There are lobsters and fish in the ocean, and eels on the shore. There are turkeys and deer and bear in the forest. It may be that your mother will not miss the English dainties, after all.ed ward. [Going excitedly to his Father.] Oh, father! Are you going to hunt for turkeys? May I go with you? Do you think that I can shoot a bear? Or maybe a deer? Then Betty can have a deerskin dress such as Squanto says the Indian maids wear

ro Bert. Squanto says that the bears are very fierce, and that the deer are so swift that they can run away much faster than a small boy with a heavy matchlock can follow.

ri chard. Do not try for a bear, Edward, until you have learned to shoot, else we may have a sad Thanksgiving day.

Fa ther. [Sitting down and lifting Edward to his knee.] Keep away fromthe forest, Edward, until you are older. Have you forgotten how John Billington was lost in it for five days?

Mo ther. And was found among unfriendly Indians, twenty miles from home?

au nt ruth. And that it took ten men, well armed, to persuade the Indians to give him up?

[The sound of heavy footsteps is heard outside. Robert runs to the window and looks out. Seeing Captain Miles Standish, he throws the door wide open.Standish, with matchlock on shoulder, enters.]

Mi les standish. Good-day to you all! Who among you is for a hunt tomorrow? We shall need many turkeys to feed Massasoit and his ninety men.

Fa ther. Welcome, Captain! There are three here to join you, for Richard shall go with us tomor-row, on his first hunt.

ri chard. How glad I am, father, that you will let me go! Squanto says the turkeys are very plentiful this year, and big and fat, as well.

Fa ther. I have heard that an Indian once brought in a turkey weighing thirty pounds. We shall have need of such fowl if Massasoit’s men are as keen of appetite as usual.

Mi les standish. After the hunt we will practice at arms that we may make a brave show at the Governor’s feast. Then the Indians will see how well we can defend ourselves.

Fa ther. [Hearing footsteps.] Go to the door, Richard, and see who are outside.

[Richard goes outside and in a moment returns with Squanto and three other Indians.]

ri chard. Father, here are Squanto and three other Indians. They wish to tell Captain Miles Standish that they are on their way to Massasoit’s camp.

Mi les standish. [Going up to Squanto.] Welcome, Squanto. What is it you wish?

sq uanto. The white men make a great feast. Squanto goes to tell Massasoit to bring all his men.

Mi les standish. Tell Massasoit that the Governor wishes him and his men to stay with us for three days. We will do our best to feast them well.

sq uanto. Squanto will tell Massasoit. But first Maasasoit will go on a great hunt. He will bring many deer for the feast.

Squanto and other Indians Go Out.

Mi les standish. Right glad will we be if Massasoit and his men do not come empty handed. Ninety Indians will be a goodly number to feed. Good-night. We will count on you and these two strong lads to help in the great hunt tomorrow. Miles Standish, matchlock on his shoulder, goes out.

Fa ther. Let us get to our supper and then to bed. We have busy days before us. And as we prepare for our feast I hope that Edward and Betty will not think more of the good things to eat than of the goodness of God in guiding us to this free land.

Mo ther. And give thanks, too, that we are all here together,well and strong and happy, and ready to rejoice on our first Thanksgiving Day.

( Based on Bradford’s “History of Plymouth Plantation” )

Word list

grieve : to have extreme sadness

merry : to be very happy

hoe : a kind of gardening tool

abundance : to have a lot of something

You Practice

A) Answer the following questions.

1) What did father say should make the Plymouth settlers happy?

2) For what other blessing were they thankful?

3) What things in your life are you grateful for?

4) Why was the Thanksgiving feast different from English feasts from the past?

5) About how many people were there for the first Thanksgiving supper?

B) What’s the word? Using the clues, write the correct words from the story.

1) a kind of sea creature -l _ _ _ _ _ _

2) a kind of food made from dairy products -c _ _ _ _ _

3) the name of a village set up by settlers -P _ _ _ _ _ _ _

4) to shoot animals -h _ _ _

5) a kind of leader -c _ _ _ _ _ _

C) Summary—Write a short summary of this story. prE2A5JdcKSbs5MasFz5UYC4Q8BUnfM6pCJnRTtZE3E+E05PXwLsG1Nad1nyjb1/

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