Stories

Savannah and the Salmon

Winter came, soon to pass. Flowers started to bloom and the fiddlehead ferns were starting to grow. The river thawed and the current was flowing strong. On a Saturday morning, my daughter Savannah said to me, “Daddy it's salmon season. I just turned six. Can I go salmon fishing with you?” I replied, “Well, you're old enough now so I don't see why not.” She said, “ I love fried salmon.” I then explained, “It is the start of the salmon season and I don't know if they are running down river well. The nets are set. We can go and check them to see if there are any fish caught as yet.”

We gathered our belongings and headed to the river. Once we arrived, we climbed in our boat and started down river. I turned to her and said “Savannah, let us give prayer to the Creator and ask for a blessing in catching the great, mighty fish.” Savannah leaned over the boat and looked at the river and said “Salmon if you can hear me, come to our net so that we can have you for dinner. You're the best fish we ever tasted.” I said, “OK girl, we are on our way! Hopefully we'll be successful.”

We made it downriver to our nets. Checking the middle of our net, we saw that there were no fish. We then went over to the right of our net and checked for a fish and there was nothing. I was turning the boat around and suddenly I heard a big splash! In front of the net I saw a big fish jump out of the water into the air and then splash back into the water. I paddled my boat fast as I could to the area where the fish jumped out of the water. When I arrived there I pulled up my net to find a large salmon. I started to bring him out of the water and into my boat. As the fish was flopping in the boat I took my club and struck him in the head to knock him out. My daughter began crying, saying, “Daddy, we killed the salmon.” I replied “Savannah don't worry, when we get home we will thank the salmon for giving his life for us to have food.”

It was the first time my daughter actually saw a salmon. Before that, she had only seen the fish already fried on her plate. When we arrived home that afternoon, my daughter was still weeping. I said, “Savannah, how about if I go and get my hand drum and we can honor this great salmon by singing an honor song for him? He gave his life for us so that we can have food.” Savannah was more cheerful then, saying “Daddy, can I sing the song with you?” “Of course.” So we started to sing the honor songs. And as we sang, Savannah's tears went away. After we finished singing, I turned to her and said, “You know what girl? I am going to take the backbone from this fish, and take some red and black and yellow beads and make you a necklace so that you will always remember this moment.” But she stopped me and said, “Daddy, Can I ask you a question?” “What is it Savannah?” She looked up at me, and smiled, saying “Can we go fry him up?” I answered, “You bet!”

Written by Randy Joseph,
Education Assistant and Teacher
Wampanoag Program
Plimoth Plantation

Daybreak at Planting Time in New Plymouth

Mary's crying made me rise from bed early. She hath but a year so she shares the bed with Mother and Father. When she is older she shall share the feather bed that Jane and I lay upon the floor at night. Mother says Mary cries for she is growing more teeth. 'Tis just getting light out, so Mother sends me to our garden behind the house to pick some marjoram leaves. Chewing on marjoram leaves is a good physic for sore teeth and will soon make Mary feel better.

Jane is awake too. I think she still misses the sounds of bells and other city noises that woke us when we lived in Holland. I do not remember Holland at all. I was too small then. I was a newborn babe when Father and my older brother John left for New England in 1620. Being the least useful in the building of houses, it was thought best that many of the women and children wait to go until the town was made, so Mother, Jane, Jacob and I stayed behind in Holland.

Three years later we too finally crossed the ocean and arrived in New England. I do not remember the voyage either, but Jane says it was long and troublesome. The first time we tried to leave, the ship had to turn back, it was leaking so badly. The second time a violent storm lasting nearly two weeks overtook the ship. When the storm had passed the ship returned to England again. We finally got over to New Plymouth on a different ship called the Anne . When we arrived we found the men had built a little town. The housed were made of wood and clay with thatched roofs. Fields and gardens had been planted too. Many families, like ours, were so happy to be together again at last. Father says this is a very good place to live even though there are no markets and shops here. 'Tis so different from England and Holland. Everything we need to live we must grow, gather, catch, make ourselves or bring over from England. But here we are not persecuted because of our religion. And our fathers can be husbandmen and own land!

Jacob is still lying to bed. Mother says I must fetch water from the brook myself and let Jacob sleep longer. He is very weary from helping Father and John plant Indian corn. He had worked in the fields for many years now, but it still makes his arms and body ache. He thinks he is grown up enough to stand watch with the men soon, but father tells him he must wait seven more years, until he is sixteen.

The morning is chill. My feet get cold and wet with the dew as I walk to the brook. Goodwife Soule is already there. I make a courtesy when she bids me good morning, then I fill my buckets. I do not fill them overmuch for I fear that I will spill them. I only began to fetch water a fortnight ago, since I grew tall enough to carry the yoke. On the way home I sing a song to make the walk go faster.

When I return with the water, Mother has already kindled the fire in the hearth. Last night before bed she covered the glowing red coals with a think layer of ashes so that they would stay hot while we slept. This morning she uncovered them and put some small pieces of wood to them which quickly caught fire. The bigger pieces of wood on top soon caught fire too. 'Tis easier to start a fire this way than a flint and steel! The fire warms my feet and heats the water we will wash ourselves with. Mother has put a pot of Indian corn pottage to warm over the fire. We shall have that and some cheese to break our fast.

After I empty the chamberpot, I go with Jane to milk the goat that we share with some of our neighbors. I can hear many animals calling to be milked. My hands are growing stronger, but I cannot squeeze the milk out as quickly or in such a thick stream as Mother and Jane can.

Later today we will use the goat's milk to make curds. Would that we could make sweet cheese with sugar and spices but I know we must have a care not to use all our sugar before more comes from England. Our sugar, raisins, prunes, oil and vinegar, and even our clothes, shoes, and many tools must still come across the sea from England. We know not when another ship will arrive. They often come but once a year. Those that came on the first ship with Father and John went two years without any new supplies. John says some folks then had little more than rags for clothing!

Jacob, John, and Father are getting their tools ready. Father says they will finish planting the Indian corn today, for the Sabbath is upon the morrow. We do no work on the Sabbath, not even cooking. It is a day of rest. We all gather in the meetinghouse at the top of the hill and spend most of the day in prayer.

The corn that they plant will be harvested in the fall when it is grown tall and hard and dry. Because it is dried it will last for a long time. It will keep our bellies full and give is more seed to plant next spring. I like not Indian corn as well as wheat and rye, but Father says it grows better here in New Plymouth than our English corns because we have no oxen to plow the ground. The manner of planting this Indian corn is most strange...we do not plow at all!

Father says an Indian named Tisquantum showed him how to dig a hole in the ground, drop some fish into the hole, make a mound over the fish, and plant seeds of Indian corn in the mound. The fish rot and make the corn grow better, but we have to be careful that animals don't dig up the fish and eat them. Sometimes Jacob stands by the fields and throws rocks at the wild animals that come to steal the fish. Though this is important work, I think he likes it as a game. But he knows games are only to be played when work is done and Father gives him permission to play.

Cousin Phillipe is already gone for the day. Master Bradford, our Governor, has sent him and some other men fishing today. If they catch a good deal of Cod, they will salt it so that it can be sent back to England on the next ship. The rest of it shall be divided betwixt us and some of our neighbors. I mind not eating fish now, but by midsummer we eat so much of it I grow weary of the taste.

I hope that Father reads to us tonight. Even though many of our neighbors do not know how to read or write, Father thinks it is very important that we learn. He says we should be able to read the Bible for ourselves. Since we have not a school here, Father started teaching Jacob and me to read last winter. But we have little time for lessons this time of the year. There is too much work to be done during the warm months.

After we've all washed ourselves, we gather at the table to break our fast. We raise our eyes to the heavens as Father offers a prayer. He asks God to watch over John, Jane, Jacob, Mary, me and cousin Phillipe to make sure that we do not grow too willful. And he asks God to protect our little town of New Plymouth and to watch over our family, that it may grow and prosper in the New World for many years to come. God willing, it shall.

Vocabulary for: DAYBREAK AT PLANTING TIME

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