Blossoms on the Roof Read Online Free PDF Page A

Father folded up the maps. “I think Mother wants to put supper on the table.”
    Ben had more questions. “Have those other men seen the land already?”
    â€œYes. They traveled out there last spring and saw many acres of wheat fields. Lord willing, some day there will be wheat fields on our farm too. The United States is growing so fast that there is a great demand for wheat. We can make money growing wheat,” Father said with a dreamy note in his voice.
    â€œAnd out in North Dakota, there’ll be no Paddy Lang coming to see us about the rent,” Ben said happily.
    Mother brought the plates and cups. “We’ll be like Abraham—going to a land we haven’t seen.”
    â€œWe need to be like Abraham,” Father said earnestly. “We need to have faith in God and obey Him too.”
    Between mouthfuls of potato-and-turnip soup, Ben had more questions. “Will we go by train, Father?”
    â€œYes, we will,” said Father, smiling when he saw how the children’s faces lit up.
    Polly clapped her hands. “Oh, good! I’ve never had a train ride, but Jakie has. Remember, Jakie, when you went with Father and Mother on the train to Pennsylvania to visit our other grandpa?”
    Jakie put down his spoon and wrinkled his forehead. “Train?” he repeated, trying to remember.
    â€œTo think you had a train ride but don’t know it anymore,” Polly said sadly. “Well, you were only one year old. Just a baby, actually.”
    â€œNow we’re going on a train again?” Jakie asked. All this talk about North Dakota and train rides was more than his four-year-old mind could grasp.
    â€œYes. You know how a train looks. We’ve seen one coming into town,” Ben told him. “It’s that big, smoking engine on the track with dozens of cars coming along behind. And we’ll be in one of those cars!”
    â€œCar? Ride in a car?” Jakie asked.
    â€œOh, now you’re all mixed up,” Polly said, laughing. Jakie had sometimes seen an automobile too, and he knew those “horseless carriages” were called cars. “The railroad cars are like—like houses on wheels being pulled along by the big engine.”
    Ben turned to Father and asked, “What about Jasper and Rob? How will they get to North Dakota?”
    â€œThere will be several cars set aside for livestock,” Father answered. “You see, on this train that is leaving Goshen on March 28, there will be many, many families who are moving to North Dakota—not just the five Amish families we know of. So there will be cars for passengers, cars for freight, and cars for livestock.”
    â€œSo we can take our cookstove and this table and—andour beds?” Polly looked around the room, spotting so many things she would hate to leave behind.
    â€œWe can take all the furniture that’s necessary,” replied Father.
    Ben was puzzled. “But, Father, where will we get the money for the train fare?”
    Father’s eyes glistened as if a few unshed tears lurked there. “Both your grandpas will loan us money, and so will Uncle Ben.”
    â€œOh,” said young Ben. He pictured his uncle toiling away in that dingy little cobbler shop, mending people’s harnesses and shoes. He was pretty sure that Uncle Ben did not have a lot of extra money. Yet he was willing to help Father with this pioneering venture. Suddenly Ben understood why there were tears in Father’s eyes.

6
    Eskimos and Huskies
    I can hardly wait to tell Susan,” Polly said, panting. She had to run to keep up with Ben as they hurried down the lane the next morning.
    â€œAnd I wonder what John will say. He’ll probably wish he could go too,” Ben said. “There he comes around the bend now.” Off Ben sprinted to meet his friend.
    â€œSusan—we—we are going to North Dakota!” puffed Polly as soon as she reached the