ou understand
about it, Robby?"

"No, I don't. I thought pil-grins were a sort of big bird that lived on
rocks, and I saw pictures of them in Demi's book."

"He means penguins. Oh, isn't he a little goosey!" and Demi laid back in
his chair and laughed aloud.

"Don't laugh at him, but tell him all about it if you can," said Mrs.
Bhaer, consoling Rob with more cranberry sauce for the general smile
that went round the table at his mistake.

"Well, I will;" and, after a pause to collect his ideas, Demi delivered
the following sketch of the Pilgrim Fathers, which would have made even
those grave gentlemen smile if they could have heard it.

"You see, Rob, some of the people in England didn't like the king, or
something, so they got into ships and sailed away to this country. It
was all full of Indians, and bears, and wild creatures, and they lived
in forts, and had a dreadful time."

"The bears?" asked Robby, with interest.

"No; the Pilgrims, because the Indians troubled them. They hadn't enough
to eat, and they went to church with guns, and ever so many died, and
they got out of the ships on a rock, and it's called Plymouth Rock, and
Aunt Jo saw it and touched it. The Pilgrims killed all the Indians,
and got rich; and hung the witches, and were very good; and some of the
greatest great-grandpas came in the ships. One was the Mayflower; and
they made Thanksgiving, and we have it always, and I like it. Some more
turkey, please."

"I think Demi will be an historian, there is such order and clearness in
his account of events;" and Uncle Fritz's eyes laughed at Aunt Jo, as he
helped the descendant of the Pilgrims to his third bit of turkey.

"I thought you must eat as much as ever you could on Thanksgiving.
But Franz says you mustn't even then;" and Stuffy looked as if he had
received bad news.

"Franz is right, so mind your knife and fork, and be moderate, or else
you won't be able to help in the surprise by and by," said Mrs. Jo.

"I'll be careful; but everybody does eat lots, and I like it better
than being moderate," said Stuffy, who leaned to the popular belief that
Thanksgiving must be kept by coming as near apoplexy as possible, and
escaping with merely a fit of indigestion or a headache.

"Now, my 'pilgrims' amuse yourselves quietly till tea-time, for you will
have enough excitement this evening," said Mrs. Jo, as they rose from
the table after a protracted sitting, finished by drinking every one's
health