Thanksgiving on Thursday Read Online Free PDF

moment.
    â€œIf
they
could be so thankful,” said Annie, “
we
should be really thankful.”
    â€œNo kidding,” said Jack. “Really,
really
thankful.”
    And they were.

MORE FACTS FOR
JACK AND ANNIE AND
YOU
!
    In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln designated the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving. But in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed it to the fourth Thursday in November—in case there were ever five Thursdays in the month.
    Wampanoag
means “people of the first light.” When the Pilgrims arrived, the Wampanoag people had lived in southeastern New England for thousands of years. They were experts at hunting, fishing, and planting.
    Squanto’s real name was Tisquantum. He was a native of the Patuxet people, which belonged to the Wampanoag federation of tribes. The Patuxet had lived in Plymouth before the Pilgrims arrived. But when Squanto returned to Plymouth in 1619 after being kidnapped as a slave, he discovered that all his people had died in a plague in 1617. Since Squanto knew English as well as the language of the Wampanoag, he helped negotiate a peace treaty between the Pilgrims and Chief Massasoit.
    Less than half of the original Pilgrims survived their first terrible winter. But after that, their numbers began to grow. More and more people came from England. Within ten years, the population of Plymouth Colony rose to almost 2,000.
    Priscilla Mullins was the eighteen-year-old daughter of a shopkeeper. In the “general sickness” of the first year, she lost her parents and her brother. In 1623, Priscilla married another Pilgrim—John Alden, a barrel-maker. Priscilla and John had ten children.
    The character of Mary was based on Mary Allerton, who was a small child when the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth. She was the last survivor of the
Mayflower
’s passengers. She died at Plymouth in 1699, at the age of eighty-three.

Here’s a special preview of
Magic Tree House #28
High Tide in Hawaii

    Available now!
    Excerpt copyright © 2003 by
Published by Random House Children's Books,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

 

    Jack and Annie were sitting on their porch, reading books. Jack was reading about gorillas. Annie was reading about Pilgrims.
    Suddenly Annie closed her book. She looked up into the sunset.
    â€œHey!” Annie said with a smile.
    Jack looked over at her.
    â€œIt’s back!”
she said, jumping up.
    â€œOh, man,” breathed Jack. He knew she was talking about the magic tree house. Annie could always tell when it was back.
    Jack closed his book and stood up.
    â€œWe’re going to the woods!” he called through the screen door. “There’s something we have to check on!”
    â€œBe back before dark!” their mom said.
    â€œWe will!” said Jack.
    He picked up his backpack. Then he and Annie headed across the yard. When they got to the sidewalk, they started running. They ran up their street and into the Frog Creek woods.
    In the last light of day, they hurried between the trees. Finally, they came to the tallest oak. They held their breath as they looked up.
    The magic tree house
was
back.
    â€œGood going,” said Jack.
    â€œThanks!” said Annie.
    She started up the ladder. Jack followed. It was nearly dark inside. But the sun-dried wood smelled like a summer day.
    â€œWhat kind of special magic will we look for this time?” said Jack.
    They glanced around the tree house. They saw the scrolls they’d brought back from Shakespeare’s theater. They saw the twig from the mountain gorillas and the pouch of corn seeds from the first Thanksgiving.
    â€œThere!” said Annie. She pointed to a book in the corner. A piece of paper was sticking out of it.
    Jack picked up the book. Then he pulled out the paper and read:
    Dear Jack and Annie,
    Good luck on your fourth journey to find a special magic. This secret rhyme will guide you:
    To