5 Eels and Clams

5 Eels and Glams Jack looked at Annie. “ We can't stay here, " he said. “ What?” she said. “ We can't go home now. The Pilgrims need us to help them. ” “ But we don't know how to do anything! ” Jack said. “ And Squanto is going to figure out he doesn't really know us. And-” “ Don't worry so much, " said Annie. “ We help Mom and Dad make our Thanksgiving dinner every year, don't we? We can help the Pilgrims. But we'd better hurry! ”

Clutching the big basket, she started running toward the bay. Jack sighed, then ran after her. At the rocky shore, they stopped and looked around. Little waves rolled onto the short stretch of sand. The salty air felt clean and fresh. Seagulls swooped over the water. “ I wonder where the eels are?" said Annie. “ And the clams?” “ I'll look in the book, " said Jack. He pulled out their book and looked up eels in the index. 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 wet sand with their bare feet, then grab them with their hands.

“ That sounds fun! " said Annie. She put down her basket and pulled off her shoes and stockings. She held up her long skirt with one hand. Then she walked over the rocks to the edge of the water. Jack put the research book into his bag. He pulled off 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 kept squishing the muddy sand with his toes. He felt pebbles and shells. Then he felt something soft. “ Hey, I think I found one, " he said. Annie splashed over to him. “ Where?”

“ Stand back, " he said. " Here. ” Jack squished harder with his feet. The soft thing moved! Jack squished more. An eel slithered through the water. Jack grabbed it with both hands! “ AHH! " he yelled.

The eel was long and skinny like a snake. It felt slimy and icky! It twisted and squirmed. Annie laughed as Jack tried to hold on to it. The eel wiggled out of Jack's hands and fell against Annie. “ Yikes! " she yelled, jumping away and bumping into Jack. With more screams, they both tumbled 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. “ We scared 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 book again and looked up clams. He turned to the right page 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 have been 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 so old. We can't just end their lives. ” Jack sighed. He sat down on a rock. Annie sat next to him. Their clothes were soaking wet. Their feet were caked with muddy sand. Their basket was empty. “ What other things do Pilgrim kids do to help?" said Annie. Jack opened the book again. He looked up Pilgrim children. He read aloud: