Next Spring an Oriole by Gloria Whelan

Author:Gloria Whelan
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780307771612
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2010-11-09T22:00:00+00:00

“I’m afraid we have left such things as fashion far behind us, Rob,” Mama said. “I only hope we shall not end up with a bear chained to our doorstep and the stumps of trees to sit upon.”

“They were good people, Vinnie.”

“I don’t say they weren’t, Rob. They were kindness itself, but I am afraid we have come too far and left too much behind us.”

IV

On the way to our land we passed five or six cabins. Some of the families hurried to greet us, asking where we had come from and where we were headed. They were friendly and eager to give advice and offer help. There were also cabins where men watched us pass with no word of greeting. Around those cabins there was no clearing for the planting of crops. We took those men for trappers.

Papa was so eager to find our land, it was all he could do to make his manners to those along the way. Papa urged Ned and Dan along until the wagon was bouncing so hard Mama said, “Rob, if you don’t slow down every bone in my body will be shaken loose.”

I was glad to hear her complain because she had been so quiet, which wasn’t like Mama. Papa slowed down, but only a little. The trail narrowed and there was just enough space between the trees for the wagon. Suddenly Papa shouted, “There’s the pond!” He jumped down and began to stride back and forth until at last he called, “Here’s the survey stake! This is our land, Vinnie! We have the whole east shore of the pond.” Papa had said nothing about the pond, wanting to surprise Mama and me. The three of us stood by the blue circle of water. After all the miles of hot, dusty trail, it was like a gift someone gives you when there is no reason for it.

Papa named everything for us as if he had just made up the names brand new—oak, popple, elm, maple, birch, hemlock, and, everywhere you looked, pine trees that nearly covered the sky. Papa was so pleased with the trees I thought he would surely put his arms around them and hug each one.

I ran down to the pond’s edge. With little slapping noises green frogs hopped into the water. A string of ducklings swam behind their mother. Down the shore a way a huge bird, nearly as tall as I was, spread its wings and slowly followed the circle of the pond to the opposite shore. “A heron,” Papa said. “I’ll teach you to fish, Libby, just like he’s doing, and you can keep our skillet filled.”

“Look over there,” Mama whispered. Near where the heron had settled, a deer stood for just a moment before it moved back into the woods. “You were right, Rob,” Mama said. “It’s going to be a wonderful place.”

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