"We can't stay here," he said.
"What?" she said. "We can't go home now. ThePilgrims need us to help them."9"But we don't know how to do anything!" Jack said.
"And Squanto is going to figure out he doesn't reallyknow us. And--""Don't worry so much," said Annie. "We help Momand Dad make our Thanksgiving dinner every year,don't we? We can help the Pilgrims. But we'd betterhurry!"Clutching the big basket, she started runningtoward the bay. Jack sighed, then ran after her.
At the rocky shore, they stopped and lookedaround. Little waves rolled onto the short stretch ofsand. The salty air felt clean and fresh. Seagullsswooped over the water.
"I wonder where the eels are?" said Annie. "And theclams?""I'll look in the book," said Jack.
He pulled out their book and looked up eels in theindex. He turned to the right page and read aloud:
Squanto showed the Pilgrims a way to catch eels.
He showed them how to push the eels out of the wetsand with their bare feet, then grab them with theirhands.
"That sounds fun!" said Annie. She put down herbasket and pulled off her shoes and stockings. Sheheld up her long skirt with one hand. Then shewalked over the rocks to the edge of the water.
Jack put the research book into his bag. He pulledoff his shoes and stockings and Joined Annie.
They dug their bare feet into the wet sand.
"I don't feel anything," said Jack.
"Let's wade into the water," said Annie.
Together they Stepped forward.
"Brrr!" said Annie.
"No kidding!" said Jack with a shiver. He keptsquishing the muddy sand with his toes. He feltpebbles and shells. Then he felt something soft.
"Hey, I think I found one," he said. Annie splashedover to him. "Where?""Stand back," he said. "Here." Jack squished harderwith his feet. The soft thing moved! Jack squishedmore. An eel slithered through the water.
Jack grabbed it with both hands! "AHH!" he yelled.
The eel was long and skinny like snake. It felt slimyand icky! It twisted and squirmed. Annie laughed asJack tried to hold on to it.
The eel wiggled out of Jack's hands fell and againstAnnie.
"Yikes!" she yelled, jumping away and they bothtumbled bumping into Jack.
10With more screams, into the cold water.
They scrambled up and splashed back to shore.
Annie was still laughing.
"Poor eel!" she said, trying to catch her breath. "Wescared him half to death!""Him?" said Jack.
"F-forget eels," said Annie, her teeth chattering.
"What about c-clams?"Jack was wet and cold. But he took out the bookagain and looked up clams. He turned to the rightpage and read aloud:
Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to dig for quahog(KO-hog) clams. Quahog clams are hard-shell clams.
They can live for sixty years or more. The oldest havebeen known to live for almost 100 years. They-. "Oh, forget it," Annie broke in.
"What?" said Jack.
"We can't catch them," she said. "They live to be soold. We can't just end their lives."Jack sighed. He sat down on a rock. Annie sat nextto him. Their clothes were soaking wet. Their feetwere caked with muddy sand. Their basket wasempty.
"What other things do Pilgrim kids help?" saidAnnie.
Jack opened the book again. He looked up Pilgrimchildren. He read aloud:
Pilgrim children worked very hard. They builtfences and cared for animals. They planted, harvested,and ground corn. They picked pumpkins, peas, andbeans. They guarded the fields. They fished andhunted. They carried water. They collected nuts. Theycooked and cleaned. They did everything they weretold. They never complained about being tired.
"Oh, man, I feel tired just reading this," said Jack,closing the book. "We make lousy Pilgrim children.""Yeah, I know," said Annie. "Maybe we could dosomething like . . . like keep an eye on the turkey andtell them when it's ready. That's how I help Momevery year.""Annie, Thanksgiving in Frog Creek is a wholedifferent story from Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims,"said Jack.
"Annie! Jack!" a voice called.
Jack quickly put away their book. Then they turnedaround.
Priscilla was standing on a rock. She held apumpkin and carried a basket filled with yellowsquash and red corn.
"I was looking for you," she said. |