Chapter I: An Invitation
One November morning, Princess Kay, Princess Fay and Prince Jay received a letter from their friends who lived in America.
The letter said,…
Dear Prince Jay, Princess Kay and Princess Fay,
Next week will be Thankgiving in America. We would like you to come to our Thanksgiving dinner.You can stay at our house. And, you can invite three friends to come with you.
From,
Sally Jane and Eddie.
“Wonderfu!” shouted Princess Kay. “We can learn all about a real American Thanksgiving.”
“And we can invite Princess Peek-A-Boo and Prince Hop-A-Lot from SillyDilly Land,” added Princess Fay.
“And let’s also invite Naa Princess from Backdown Land,” Prince Jay suggested. “I think we should take an airplane from WillyNilly Land. Then we’re sure to get there.”
“Can you imagine if we took a plane from Backdown Land,” Princess Fay giggled. “We would be flying backwards and we sure wouldn’t be going in the right direction.”
“Fun like sounds sure it,” wrote Naa Princess in her usual backwards style, which meant “It sure sounds like fun.” Prince Hop-A-Lot and Princess Peek-A-Boo agreed frontwards.
Chapter II: Sally Jane and Eddie
In a few days, all the children ( and of course Mr. Pin Cushion, Prince Hop-A-Lot’s adorable pet porcupine) were on their way.
“I love to fly on airplanes,” Princess Peek-A-Boo said. “But the WillyNilly airplane looks so different from ours. Our airplanes have wings on the top and bottom and your airplanes have wings on each side.”
Prince Hop-A-Lot thought the airplanes were too small. Everytime he hopped which was all the time, he banged his head on the ceiling of the airplane. But he didn’t hurt himself. Prince Jay had pillows pasted on the airplane ceiling before the trip.
The children had lots of fun on the trip. But Naa Princess was a bit worried.
“There get we hope do I,” Direction right the in going be to seem don’t we.”
The other children knew that what she said was, “I do hope we get there. We don’t seem to be going in the right direction.”
“That’s only because you are used to going backwards and not forwards wherever you go, Naa Princess,” said Prince Jay.” But we’ll get there ,so don’t worry.”
Sally Jane, Eddie and their father were waiting for their friends to arrive.
On the way to Sally Jane and Eddie’s house, Sally Jane told the children a little bit about how her family celebrates Thanksgiving.
“Thanksgiving is a tradition here in America. It is always on the last Thursday in November. We try to remember to say thank you for the good things we have. We have a big dinner, perform a play and sing songs. We also try to remember the first Thanksgiving.”
Chapter III The First Thanksgiving
“But Sally, we don’t know anything about the first Thanksgiving. Could you tell us . We 'd really like to know.”
All the children agreed with Princess Peek-A-Boo. “ Yes, please tell us,” said Princess Kay.
Eddie told the children that his father made up songs about Thanksgiving."Dad, will you sing the one about the Pilgrim story?"
"I sure will, " said Sally and Eddie's father.
Here’s how it goes:
The Pilgrims took a long long trip
On the Mayflower which was their sailing ship.
They set up their homes, and struggled through
The long winter when the freezing winds blew.
Then Squanto a Native American
Who knew how hard their life had been,
Had wanted to show, the way plants would grow.
It was something the Pilgrims needed to know.
The Pilgrims, the Pilgrims had come a long long way.
The Pilgrims, the Pilgrims, they had Thanksgiving Day.
Then the Pilgrims saw in early Fall
That their crops had grown up golden tall,
Their worries decreased, their food had increased,
They had the first Thanksgiving feast.
The Pilgrims, the Pilgrims gave thanks in a special way.
The Pilgrims, the Pilgrims, they had Thanksgiving Day.
(To hear the song:
Chapter IV: Celebrating Thanksgiving
“Wow!” The Pilgrims were so brave,” Prince Jay said.
“Yes,” said Sally, “ they were brave. And they were thankful too. At
Thanksgiving dinner, we think about how we can be thankful.”
“I’m getting hungry already,” whimpered Prince-Hop-A-Lot.
By this time, they arrived at Sally and Eddie's house.
They all sat down in the living room. Sally and Eddie's mother and father
sat with them.
“Thanksgiving on eat you do foods of kinds what? asked Naa Princess.
”Oh, Naa Princess just wants to know what kinds of food people eat
on Thanksgiving,” said Princess Fay who noticed that Sally and Eddie
were not quite sure what Naa Princess was saying.
“We eat some of the foods that the Pilgrims were eating. They had
to hunt animals like wild turkey. They caught fish in the ocean," answered Eddie. Prince Hop-A-Lot was hoping that they didn’t hunt porcupine!
"They planted what they could,” added Sally. "We have a song about the Pilgrims planting their crops which our father loves to sing. Do you want to hear it? "
"WE SURE DO," all the visiting children seemed to shout at once.
"In Spring the Pilgrims planted their corn,
They started their work in the early morn,
They cared for their crops and then in the Fall,
They saw their plants growing very tall.
The Pilgrims went 'a plantin',
They were in their fields each day.
The Pilgrims went 'a plantin'
During April and May.
They planted corn, some potatoes and wheat,
In winter the Pilgrims had enough to eat.
They planted corn, some potatoes and wheat,
In winter the Pilgrims had a lot of food to eat.
(To hear the song:
Chapter V: The Thanksgiving Dinner
During the Thanksgiving feast everyone had a chance to say what he or she was
thankful for.
Prince Hop-A-Lot was thankful that he could eat while hopping.
Prince Jay was thankful that they could celebrate Thanksgiving dinner in America.
Princess Fay said something everyone else was thinking,
“ I am thankful for having so many good friends from different places.”
Princess Kay agreed with that.
“Too them appreciate to learn we and people other about understand to come we.” Added Naa Princess. “Holidays people’s other celebrate to fun is it.”
(Which means,” It is fun to celebrate other people’s holidays. We come to understand about other people, and we learn to appreciate them too.”)
"I'm thankful for my name, because it is lots of fun, " said Princess Peek-A- Boo. "I bet you have a song about being thankful!"
"Yes!" said Eddie. "As a matter of fact we do! His father started singing...
Oh, T is for the turkey that we eat Thanksgiving day.
And T is for terrific it tastes good in every way.
Oh T is for my tummy that loves sweet potatoes too,
And T is for the table where there's food the whole year through
Oh I'm thankful, I am thankful for the
good things that I've got.
I'm thankful yes I'm thankful, I am blessed to have a lot.
Well T is for the time we spend a loving family.
And T is for together talking very happily.
Oh T is for tomorrows we'll share many moments more,
I'm thankful for so many joys that there is still in store.
That's why I'm thankful, I'm thankful,
for all the things I've got..
I'm thankful, I'm thankful, I'm blessed to have a lot.
I'm thankful, I am thankful,I am thankful, I am thankful,
I am very, very thankful ...cause I'm blessed to have a lot.
(To hear the song:
Chapter VI: Another Thanksgiving Song
After dinner, Sally and Eddie's father sang another Thanksgiving song.
Turkey, turkey , yum ,yum yum,
On the table, I’d like some,
With sweet potatoes, stuffing too,
I love Thanksgiving, how about you.
How about you? Me too!
Turkey, turkey yum,yum,yum,
On the table , I'd like some,
With cranberry sauce and corn to chew,
With sweet potatoes, stuffing too,
I love Thanksgiving, how about you.
How about you? Me too!
Turkey, turkey yum,yum,yum,
On the table , I'd like some,
With vegetables that the farmers grew.
With cranberry sauce and corn to chew,
With sweet potatoes and stuffing too,
I love Thanksgiving, how about you.
How about you? Me too!
Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, a holiday each year.
I’m very glad, oh yes I'm glad Thanksgiving's really here.
Thanksgiving is the time to think,
Of things we have to eat and drink,
And also other blessings too,
I love Thanksgiving , how about you.
How about you? Me too!
Thanksgiving, It's Thanksgiving, a holiday each year.
I’m glad. yes I'm very glad Thanksgiving-time is here.
(To hear this Thanksgiving song- click below
The next day, the WillyNilly children and the SillyDilly children and Naa Princess flew home. Mr. Pin Cushion went home too, even though he fell in love with Sally and Eddie’s cat and would have liked to spend more time with his new friend.
All the children spent the night at the WillyNilly palace. Naa Princess wrote a thank you note. (remember to read it backwards!)
Family, and Eddie, Jane Sally Dear,
Invited be to nice how,
Away far travel to.
Treat special a is Thanksgiving wow,
Day your share us let you.
You thank,
From Naa Princess, Princess Kay, Princess Fay, Prince Jay, Prince Hop-A-Lot, Princess Peek-A- Boo.
And of course, from Mr. Pin Cushion.