Thanksgiving Ballad

This year, I want to teach the kids about the first thanksgiving feast without reading the same old books again. Something fun, something lively... how about a song?? An inspired burst from my pen put down these words this afternoon:

THANKSGIVING BALLAD
(to the tune of "On Top of Old Smoky")

The English King declared
"You must worship MY way!
And you'll go to jail if
you dare disobey!"

Some folks fled to Holland
to live with the Dutch
but the farmland was swampy
and the pay wasn't much.

So they went back to England
and hired a ship
to cross the Atlantic
to be free to worship.

Upon the Mayflower
the Pilgrims did sail;
they saw naught but water
and the occasional whale.

On day sixty-six they
spotted beach sand.
"O praise the great Lord who
brought us to this land!"

To make sure they'd live with
peace, justice, and tact
The men agreed to the
Mayflower Compact.

That winter was freezing;
they fell hungry and ill.
Half of them died, but
they trusted God still.

A friend came from somewhere
they didn't expect:
God helped the poor Pilgrims
and sent Samoset.

He said to plant fish with the
corn was the best.
They worked hard all summer
for a super harvest.

A great feast was held to
thank God for the corn,
squash, pumpkins, and turkey,
and the friendship just born.

For three days with Indians,
they did eat and play.
All this we remember
on Thanksgiving Day.

Copyright 2008 - Sara Hemmeke