Around four hundred years ago many people in England were unhappy because their King would not let them pray to God as they liked. The King said they must use the same prayers that he did and if they refused, they were prosecuted, imprisoned or even killed. These Englishman left their homes and went far off to a country called Holland. In Holland they were happy, but they were very poor and when the children began to grow they became less godlike and did not want to pray anymore. After much talking and thinking these English people decided to embark on a pilgrimage to the New World - America.

They set out on a small ship called the «Mayflower» to take them across the sea. There were about one hundred people on board the tiny ship. It was crowded, cold an uncomfortable. The sea was rough. They were two months sailing over the Atlantic Ocean. At last the «Mayflower» came inside of land. The month was November and it was cold. There was nothing to be seen but snow, rocks and hard bare ground. They were tired and cold from their long journey and hungry too, no one had enough food to eat. Many of them became sick and by springtime almost half of the people died.

In spring the sun shone brightly, the snow melted and leaves and flowers began to emerge. Some friendly Indians had visited the Pilgrims during the winter.

One of the kind Indians was named Squanto. He stayed with the Pilgrims and taught them how to plant their corn, peas, wheat and barley. The summer came and the days were long and bright. The Pilgrim children were very happy in their new home Plymouth Rock. When it was autumn the Fathers gathered the barley, wheat and corn that they had planted, and found that it had grown so well that they would have quite enough for a long winter that was coming.

«Let us thank God for it all!» they said. Then they decided to have a grand Thanksgiving party and invite the friendly Indians. They prepared wild ducks and geese and great wild turkeys, there was deer meat, bread and cakes, they had fish and clams from the sea nearby. The friendly Indians all came with their chief. They were dressed in deer skins and some of them had the furry coat of a wild cat hanging on their arms. Their long black hair fell loose on their shoulders and was trimmed with feathers or fox tales. Before they ate, the Pilgrims and the Indians thanked God together for all his goodness. And so the story goes of the first Thanksgiving celebrated in Plymouth Colony nearly four hundred years ago.

As you sit down with your friends and family this Thanksgiving remember this original tale and give thanks for all of God's abundant blessings.

Корисні слова та фрази:

Embark on, v - починати, братися (за що-небудь).

Pilgrimage, n - паломництво, мандрівка, тривала подорож.

Set out, v - вирушати в дорогу.

On board the ship - на борту корабля.

The sea was rough - море хвилювалося.

Emerge, v - з'являтися; спливати; виходити.

Corn, n - кукурудза; маїс.

Wheat, n - пшениця.

Pea, n - горох, горошок; горошина.

Barley, n - ячмінь.

Deer, n - олень.

Clam, n - двостулковий молюск.

Furry, adj - хутряний; підбитий хутром.

Abundant, adj - рясний, багатий.