Little Joe's Thanksgiving Story
[ A five year old's version of pilgrims and Thanksgiving ]

By:  Lynne G.

 

Thanksgiving Day on the Ponderosa was a bitter cold this year. There was snow falling all day and well into the evening. The bitter winds blew the falling snow up against anything in it's way, making large drifts of snow.

Inside the large log ranch home of the Cartwright family it was warm and cozy with wonderful smells of Thanksgiving dinner cooking in the kitchen.

Hop Sing had cooked up a true feast for his ' family ' and he couldn't wait for it to get finished cooking so he could also enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with the Cartwrights.

" Oh, I sure wish it was time to eat. It smells so good in here !" Hoss declared as his mouth was watering non-stop. " Me too !" five year old Little Joe agreed with a big smile on his sweet little face. He too was licking his lips at the thought of turkey and all the rest of the food that was cooking in the kitchen.

The Cartwright family loved turkey, and since there were a lot of wild turkeys in the area, they had it several times a year, but it just seemed to taste better at Thanksgiving and Christmas for some strange reason.

Hop Sing had also baked a ham to go along with the turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, freshly baked rolls, stuffing, and for dessert, there was fresh apple pie and blueberry pie.

As the family ate their dinner, they all had to smile at Little Joe as the little boy had picked up a turkey drumstick to eat. That drumstick was almost as big as the little boy was, and his family thought the sight of the little boy and the large turkey drumstick was just too cute for words.

As Little Joe slowly ate his drumstick, Hoss looked at him and he said, " Will ya look at Short Shanks, that drumstick is almost as big as he is. Hey little brother, ya think ya can handle that there drumstick?"

Little Joe looked up at Hoss over the drumstick and he gave Hoss a big smile and he nodded.

" Yes, that certainly is a large drumstick little buddy, and it looks like you are doing a good job of handling it just fine," Adam said as he too had to smile at the little boy.

All Ben could see was the top of his baby son's curly head of thick soft hair, and his big bright sparkling green eyes over the top of that drumstick.

" This is so yummy good Hop Sing. I wuv turkey !" the little boy told Hop Sing as he continued to eat his drumstick.

" Hop Sing, you have completely outdone yourself with this dinner. It is incredible !" Ben told Hop Sing. " We also agree with what Pa said Hop Sing," Adam replied.

" Hop Sing feel very thankful to Cartwright family for making Hop Sing feel like member of family, and that you enjoy Hop Sing cooking very much," Hop Sing happily said.

" We feel very thankful for you too Hop Sing. There is no way that we could ever survive without you in our lives Hop Sing," Ben told Hop Sing.

" Hey Pa, look at Little Joe, he has turkey comin' out his ears !" Hoss declared as he winked at Ben, Adam and Hop Sing. " He certainly does," Ben agreed.

With that said, Little Joe laid down what was left of the drumstick and he put his tiny hands up to his ears and he felt them, with a confused look on his face.

" I ain't got no turkey in my ears, cuz I dunt feel none. Papa, does I gots turkey comin' out my ears ?" the little boy asked as he couldn't figure out how turkey could be coming out of his ears. He knew he didn't put any in there.

Trying to hold back a laugh, his family smiled at him before Ben spoke up. " Sweetheart, you don't have turkey coming out of your ears. That is just an expression people use when they see someone eating, especially a little boy like you and that large drumstick that you just ate. I am so proud of you for being able to finish that drumstick and eating all of your dinner too."

" Thank ya Papa. I was hungry and dinner was really good !" Little Joe replied with a big smile on his dirty little face.

After dinner as the family relaxed in the livingroom in front of the warming fire in the fireplace, Little Joe sat down on the hearth of the fireplace and he faced his family and he announced, " Can I hab everyones 'tention pleaze. I gotts a story ta tell ya 'bout pilgrums and Fanksgivin' and injuns too."

Not knowing what to expect from their little imp, Ben asked Hop Sing to join them so he too could hear Little Joe's story.

Once everyone was in place and looking at the little boy who was sitting on the hearth, Ben said, " You can start your story anytime now sweetheart. We can't wait to hear your story."

The little boy took a deep breath and he began his little story about pilgrims, Thanksgiving and indians too.

" A really long time ago there was a big bunch of people that wanted ta come and live in this country. They was called pilgrums. Them pilgrums lived in Englund, and that's a long way from here. It's way 'cross that big old ocean."

" They dun packed up all their stuff that that they could take wiv em, and they puts it in some boats. Then they all gotts in them boats and they went 'cross that big old ocean."

" They had ta fish on the way here so they could hab fresh fish ta eats. I bets I could gets more fish then they dun gotts."

" It dun took em a long time ta gets 'cross that big old ocean. When theys gotts by Boston they sawed a big old rock that was sittin' on the beach, so they gotts off the boats and wented ashore."

" They went fer a walk and they liked it there, so they tooked all their stuff off them boats and they chopped down some trees so they could build some houses."

"They dunt hab much food anymore cuz they ates it when they was on the boats. They wented inta the woods ta go huntin' and they gotts some deers, and bunny rabbits ta eat."

" One day when they was still building houses, it's takes awhile ta build houses ya know. Anyway, a whole bunch of injuns walked up to them pilgrums. Dunt worry, them injuns was friendly injuns, ya know friendly like when I play injun, I'm friendly most of the time."

" Them injuns wanted ta help them pilgrums build their houses so they dun did. The injuns also helped them pilgrums plant stuff in gardens just like the stuff in Hop Sing's garden."

" ' Round a year later, them pilgrums had lots of food from their gardens and they had lots of meat from huntin' too. One day them pilgrums decided ta cook a big dinner and they invited the injuns ta hab dinner wiv em, and they wanted ta fank them injuns fer all the help they had gibbed em."

" Everyones wuved all the food and they all said fank ya ta each other. That was the first Fanksgivin'. Happy Fanksgivin' Papa, Adam, Hoss, Hop Sing. I's wuv ya all !" Little Joe said as he gave each member of his family a big hug including Hop Sing.

" That was a wonderful story sweetheart. Thank you for telling us all about the pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving," Ben said as he was so proud of his little boy that he remembered the story of the first Thanksgiving.

" You did a great job of story telling little buddy. I couldn't have said it any better than you did," Adam told his little brother who was smiling at him. Little Joe felt very proud of himself too.

" Great story Punkin ! I know their food wasn't near as good as Hop Sing's cooking. He is the best cook in the world !" Hoss declared. They all agreed.

" Hop Sing feel very honored at what family say about Hop Sing. Hop Sing love Cartwright family very much," Hop Sing replied softly and teary eyed.

" I'm sure glad that them pilgrims came to our country, cuz if'n they didn't, we wouldn't be havin' Thanksgivin'." Hoss said.

" Yes, that is very true Hoss, so we can say a big ' thank you ' to the pilgrims for everything they had to go through just to come to our country, and for the help that the indians gave them too. Yes, we all have so much to be thankful for," Ben replied as he looked at his sons and Hop Sing.

" I'm happy I ain't no pilgrum ! They dun had too much work ta do, and they didn't hab a Ponderosa for a home either. I's wuv it here ! Happy Fanksgivin' !" Little Joe said with a big smile on his face.

They all wished each other a very Happy Thanksgiving and they again thanked God for everything they had.

The End.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

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