Miller - Elijah and Emma Meet Friends and Visit History: a Story Book to Color

Elijah

and

Emma

Meet Friends and Visit History

A Story Book to Color

by Darlene Miller

PO Box 221974 Anchorage, Alaska 99522-1974

ISBN 978-1-59433-860-1

eBook 978-1-59433-861-8

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2019937485

Copyright 2019 Darlene Miller

First Edition

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in any form, or by any mechanical or electronic means including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, in whole or in part in any form, and in any case not without the written permission of the author and publisher.

Manufactured in the United States of America.

Acknowledgements

I dedicate this story/color book to my husband, Terry Raymond Miller. He not only accompanied me to historical places and rendezvous; he took photographs and assisted me in the production of this book.

Thanks to the children who were willing to do something as they posed for their pictures. Thanks to the parents of the children who gave permission to have their photos published. All of the photographs in this book were taken by my husband, Terry Miller, or me at different reenactments or rendezvous.

Thank you to Smoke and Fire News who gave permission to publish the photos which were previously published in their reenactment newspaper. I am grateful to the members of the Marion County Writers Workshop and our leader, Mike Van Natta, for their critiques and assistance. I also want to thank Eta Chapman for editing this story/coloring book. Thanks to Evan Swensen and his design team at Publication Consultants for the assistance in the graphics and publishing of this book.

Grandma was hot, tired, and hungry when she reached her motel room in Des Moines but before she could take care of herself, she needed to call her son, John, and his family.

When John answered the phone, the only thing she could hear was yelling and screaming.

Whats going on? she shouted.

In the background she heard nine year-old Elijah shouting to his eleven year old sister, Emma; You didnt have to tell dad about my report card.

Emma said, He would have found out about it anyway.

Their father shouted, Go to your rooms. I cant hear grandma.

But I didnt do anything wrong. Emma whined.

You think that you are so superior. Elijah said.

Thats because I am superior, Emma answered.

She heard the children stomp up the stairs and slam the doors to their rooms.

John explained, Elijah hid his poor report card, which showed unsatisfactory marks in history and social studies, while Emma made sure that I knew about it. Superior is his word of the week, and he uses it in every conversation, but never thinking that he is superior.

May I speak to Elijah? Grandma asked. John went up the stairs and knocked on Elijahs door. Your grandmother wants to talk to you. He handed the phone to Elijah and went back downstairs.

Whats going on, Elijah? She asked. I thought you liked school.

I like playing baseball with the guys, but my teacher wants me to remember dates and the names of men from long ago. It is so boring. I want to do stuff.

I see you have a problem. I will think about it and talk to you tomorrow.

The next day at lunch, Grandma asked Kids, how would you like to sleep in a tent and visit history?

Elijah almost fell off his chair laughing. Grandma, where is your time machine? Everyone laughed.

Grandma answered, Thats a good one. When I talked to your parents last night, I asked your dad, Do you remember, when you were little, I took you to museum villages, rendezvous and living history farms? I wanted you to use all your senses to experience history.

John said, Yeah, I loved it.

I talked to my friend, Agnes. She told me there is a re-enactment in Illinois this week-end. Agnes will lend us her tent, and has friends who have clothing for us if you want to go to the rendezvous.

Elijah asked, Will there be kids there.

Lots of them, answered his grandmother.

Okay! He said. It might be fun.

After calling her friend, Grandma turned to her daughter-in-law, Becky, and said, We will have Colonial outfits for the children and John. Becky, do you want to be a Colonial lady or a pirate? They need more pirates.

What do I have to do?

From what Ive seen in other re-enactments, you will ride in a canoe on the lake and pretend to steal the settlers goods, or help kidnap someone for ransom. If they shoot you, you fall down.

Id love being a pirate.

I can take my new Scottish sword and defend you, Elijah boasted.

Now that would be a superior moment, his father said.

When they got to the park on Friday, they were told to go to the Early American area, up the hill from the Indian camp. A long bike and walking path led to the other side of the park, which was the Civil War area.

Elijahs dad asked him to help unload their tent and supplies. Elijah looked around and saw a wagon by some wooden shoes and other stuff a family used.

Thats a neat wagon. I wish I could put the stuff in the wagon, he said.

Wait here and I will see what I can do, his dad answered.

He returned a bit later with a big cart so they could load everything in it. I borrowed this from a Colonial farmer. Would you like to push it?

Superior, Elijah answered.

When they got everything to the place where they would set up camp, Elijah asked, Why are you taking an ax, shovel and knife?

We will build a fire on the ground. For fire safety and to save the grass, we will chop a hole in the ground and use a knife to cut the roots. When we finish, we will replace the grass piece, which we call sod, and no one will ever know where we made the fire.

Superior, Elijah said. Why dont you go find someone who has already set up camp and see how they did it? his father questioned.

A few minutes later, Elijah ran back to his dad. I found a girl who showed me how her mother made eggs in a frying pan she called a cast iron skillet, he said. Can Mom make eggs and bacon for breakfast?

I need to get the tent set up first. After I make the fire pit and drink my coffee, well see what Mom has for breakfast.

May I go talk to kids?

Okay, but take your sister with you and stay close by so you can come to breakfast.

Elijah ran down the hill where there were tents set up by the river. Lets go look at the Indians, he shouted to Emma. You are supposed to call them Native Americans, not Indians, Emma answered.