The forest was made up of large trees reaching towards the sky. The stream, about 7 feet wide with large rock formations lining the streams edge, meandered through the forest floor, bubbling, splashing, and gently flowing along. Birds high in the trees sing their little melodies. The tree tops swaying with each gust of wind, keeping time with the whistling sound as the wind blows through the leaves. Squirrels run high in the branches, gathering nuts for the winter, which will soon arrive. Benjamin, a small young lad, who just arrived to the new world, sits down to look around at his new home. His mind keeps wandering back to his old home across the ocean. There are no cobble stone streets here or rows of houses with flowering gardens. Even children his age are missing and he has no one to play with. Benjamin wonders what life has in store for him here in this new place.
Benjamin decides to go exploring to see what this new world has awaiting him. As time went by he didn't know just how far he had gone nor in what direction he had come. The twisting paths have turned him around. Lost, Benjamin becomes scared, as he doesn't know which way to go. He begins yelling for help. As he continues walking back the way he thinks he came, he yells for his father to come and get him.
As the hours pass and darkness starts to fall, Benjamin begins to cry. Cold, hungry and tired he looks for shelter and finds a little hideaway in the bank along the stream. The rocks have made kind of a shallow cave in which he can curl up and sleep. As he curls up inside trying to go to sleep, he hears a noise outside. Frightened, he jumps up and peers out to see what made the noise. Bright yellow eyes stare back at him from the waters edge. The wolf was getting a drink and Benjamin startled him. The animal bared large white teeth and a slow muzzled growl came from its throat as it slowly inches toward Benjamin. Benjamin crawled back into the cave holding his breath. The wolf follows him inside. Just then a loud thud sounds out as the wolf dropped to the ground with an arrow sticking from its side. Benjamin looks at the wolf and wonders what just happened. Just then a large Indian by the name of Awondaha stands at the opening and looks at Benjamin kneeling down crying. Benjamin asks who he is but Awondaha does not answer and motions for Benjamin to follow. Benjamin just crouches against the wall of the cave afraid to speak. Awondaha said something in his native tongue which Benjamin did not understand. Afraid, Benjamin begins shaking and wishing his dad was there. Awondaha motions again at Benjamin to follow him then turns and walks away. Benjamin gets up and cautiously peeks out of the cave. He saw Awondaha and a young girl beside him. She was Awondaha's daughter and her name was Yopenuppa. She was laughing at Benjamin. Yopenuppa ran and grabbed Benjamin's hand and pulled him, so as to follow her. Benjamin went with them and no one made a sound. Yopenuppa kept hold of Benjamin's hand and they walked behind Awondaha. After a while they came upon a village with strange looking tents and homes. Everyone there was speaking a language Benjamin had never heard before. Awondaha took Benjamin to a large tent. He put some animal skins on the ground and motioned for Benjamin to lie down. Benjamin laid down and Awondaha covered him with a large very warm furry animal skin. Soon Benjamin was sound asleep.
As the morning sun starts to shine Benjamin awakes and looks around to see if anyone is there with him. The teepee is empty but he hears people speaking outside in that strange language again. He gets up and walks through the opening. Once outside Awondaha and Yopenuppa come to greet Benjamin and offer him something to eat. Benjamin is given a bowl of food and as he looks for a spoon he sees that everyone is using their hands. Benjamin takes a bite and the taste was really very good so Benjamin being very hungry started eating as fast as he could. Yopenuppa brings Benjamin another helping as he seems to be so hungry. As Benjamin is eating the tribe members keep walking by to see what a white boy looks like. Many of them have never seen a white person before. When Benjamin was done eating Yopenuppa got him to play with her and some of her friends. Shortly after they begin playing Awondaha came and motioned for Benjamin to follow him. Three other braves came with them. Benjamin did not know just what was going on, but he follows Awondaha as directed and Yopenuppa came along. They walked for a long time. After a while Awondaha stops. He pulls Benjamin up to the front and points to where smoke is rising above the treetops. Benjamin looks up to Awondaha as if to ask what that was. Awondaha points to Yopenuppa and then to his chest, then he points to the smoke in the trees and then to Benjamin's chest. Benjamin now knows that Awondaha has taken him back home. Benjamin turned and gave Awondaha a hug and he hugged Yopenuppa too. He then turned and started walking towards the smoke. Benjamin turned and waved as he continued to walk. Yopenuppa waved back as the Indians were standing there watching to make sure he took the right path. Benjamin kept walking and soon he heard people talking in his own language, He yells out happily and starts to run. Seeing his father he runs toward him and grabs him and gives him a big hug. Together they begin to cry as they are so happy to be joined again. Benjamin than begins telling the men in the camp about the Indians who brought him home. They all agree Benjamin was very lucky to be alive. It's known that many of the local Indians were not very friendly. Benjamin's father George warned Benjamin to always stay close by and never wander off again as it is very dangerous away from camp.
As the days and weeks go by it begins to get very cold and the leaves begin to fall from the trees. Geese are flying south as winter approaches. The camp has taken shape and inside the high log fence around the camp there are log homes for everyone to stay in. Wood has been gathered for the winter and food dried and stored away. Ships will not be coming until next spring. As it kept on getting colder and the snow began to fall many complained of the cold winds that never seemed to stop. The snow kept on falling covering much of the wood that was gathered for the winter. It was much worse than any of them had ever experienced before. Now they knew what was meant when they were told about all the earlier settlers who died in the cold winters here in this new world. The winter seemed to last and last. Snow blanketed the ground for months; supplies were disappearing fast and the men began to worry, not sure just how much longer they could survive.
Then early one evening a large group of Indians showed up at the camp. When Benjamin looked out he saw Awondaha and his daughter Yopenuppa together with many other braves from the Indian tribe. They have brought baskets of food for the camp along with some small game to eat. The Camp leaders went out to meet them and they greeted each other with a hand shake. Benjamin told his father that this was the Indian that saved his life and his daughter whom he had played with. Benjamin's father then took Benjamin outside to greet the group of Indians. Benjamin went up to Awondaha and pointed to his father and then to his chest. George put out his hand and Awondaha took it and they each smiled at one another and gave a small laugh. Benjamin then went to Yopenuppa and they began laughing and then Benjamin took her by the hand and brought her to see his father. George squatted down and looked Yopenuppa in the eyes and shook her hand too. Benjamin was so happy to see his friends who saved him from the wolf. Yopenuppa and Benjamin played there for a long time as the elders from the tribe and the camp joined in preparing a meal for everyone.
After the meal was over Awondaha presented Benjamin with the animal skin he had slept under while at the village. Benjamin was so excited he couldn't keep still as this was the warmest blanket he had ever used. Benjamin's father then gave Awondaha a rifle to use for hunting as a gift of thanks. He showed Awondaha how to use it and load it. Then he gave him some supplies also for the rifle. Then it was time for the tribe to head back to their camp. Yopenuppa and Benjamin gave each other a big hug and waved to each other as they began to disappear from site. After that, every now and then throughout the winter, George would find small game left at his cabin. He knew the Indians had left it. .
The supplies the Indians had given them helped them make it through the harsh winter. The harvest of vegetables, including corn and squash, which was new to most there was very good. The camp decided to make a large garden the following year so they could gather it up and put it in storage for the following winter. There on that first Thanksgiving day, many did not know this would become a yearly occurrence here in this new world. Benjamin also did not know that his new friend would also one day become his wife. And George would discover that Awondaha was one of the most powerful chiefs in the entire area and the rifle he gave him made him more respected till his death some years later. More and more settlers came the following years and they began to spread out through this giant country. But Benjamin and his wife Yopenuppa raised their 3 children and lived in harmony with the land, where they had the best of both worlds.
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