7 Arm Exercises

7 Arm Exercises Priscilla led Jack and Annie away from the village toward a large field. The Pilgrims and Wampanoag men had already gathered there. Jack could hear the beat of a drum. But he couldn't see what was going on. “ Make haste or we will miss it! " said Priscilla. “ Miss what?" asked Annie. “ Captain Standish is about to lead the men and boys, " said Priscilla. “ They will exercise their arms. ”

Why do they exercise their arms? Jack wondered. Will they expect me to join in? As he hurried after Priscilla toward the crowd, Jack practiced. He stretched his arms out wide. He made circles in the air. Then he flapped his arms up and down. Priscilla caught sight of him. “ What art thou doing, Jack?" she asked. “ Exercising my arms, " he said.

Priscilla smiled. Then she started to laugh. She laughed and laughed. So did Jack, but he wasn't sure why. A loud BANG! came from the field. Jack jumped. He stopped laughing. A puff of smoke rose into the air. As the crowd parted, Jack saw the Pilgrim men and boys proudly holding up their long guns. “ What just happened?" said Annie. " The men fired their muskets, " said Priscilla. “ On special occasions they like to show off their arms. ” Oh! thought Jack. Now I get it! The long guns are muskets, which are also called arms. So “ exercising arms” means firing muskets! Jack blushed. Priscilla must think I'm an idiot, he thought.

But she just smiled at him fondly. " I thank thee for making me laugh, Jack, " she said. “ I have not laughed hard in a long time. ” Jack shrugged, as if he had meant to make her laugh. “ It is time now to serve our feast, " said Priscilla. “ I must help with the bread. " “ What can we do?" asked Jack. “ Return to my home, ” said Priscilla, “ take the turkey off the spit, put it on a platter, and bring it to a table. ” “ Oh, great, we get to help with the turkey! " said Annie. “ I always help with the turkey at home. ” “ Good, ” said Priscilla. “ May thou feel my home is thy home today. ”

Jack was excited, too. He and Annie were about to serve the first turkey at the first Thanksgiving! They ran back to the smoky house and rushed inside. “ Where's the platter?” said Jack, looking around. He saw a flat wooden block. “ That must be it. " Annie picked up the wooden platter. “ How do we get the turkey on it?" she asked. They moved close to the fire and stared at the turkey roasting on the iron rod. “ That must be the spit, ” said Jack. The spit sat on iron legs. It had a handle. Jack pushed his glasses into place. “ I'll lift the spit, " he said. “ Then we'll push the turkey onto the platter. ” “ Be careful, " said Annie. Jack reached out and wrapped his fingers around the handle of the iron spit.

“ Oww! ” he shouted. The handle was super hot! He yanked his hand away and knocked the spit off its legs. The turkey fell into the fire. The grease from the turkey sputtered and popped. The turkey burst into flame! The fire roared! “ AHH! ” yelped Jack and Annie together. They jumped back from the hearth.