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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781490752822 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Trafford Publishing |
| Publication date: | 01/24/2018 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 142 |
| File size: | 6 MB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
The Cardboard Box Children
MEET BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
By Scott W. Guttormson
Trafford Publishing
Copyright © 2013 Scott W. GuttormsonAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4669-9634-2
CHAPTER 1
Homework
In the Gulf of Mexico, a massive Category Five Hurricane rips across the water headed straight for Brownsville, Texas. Ninety foot swells precede the storm, with the tempest smashing and tossing everything in its wake. Insulted skies turn steel-grey, mocking the color of the rolling sea.
Meanwhile, a different type of storm brews in a modest house on the Texas Gulf Coast.
"Anika!" shouts Anika's mom up the stairs. "Have you finished your homework?"
Disturbed from an intense staring contest with one of her gerbils, Anika snaps, "I know! I'm working on it!"
Anika purses her lips and lowers her head, sandy blonde hair covering her face. Huffing, she angles her head to stare at the mirror hanging next to the door to her room. Wide hazel eyes stare back. Ten-year-old thoughts dance in those eyes, causing them to flash and spin.
Her mom's voice drifts back up the stairs, "Anika, you have to still do your homework!"
Anika cuts her eyes at the reflection in the mirror. Suddenly a shape flits into the doorway. An elfish figure bursts into the room, saying, "Anika, mommy is calling you."
"I know, Kylie!" shouts an exasperated Anika, as she stands and slams the door to her room.
CHAPTER 2
The Calm
Outside, the sky is bright and still and strangely quiet. No sounds disturb the stillness. The animals sense danger in this uneasy quiet and dutifully prepare to hunker down in their nests and burrows in order to weather the incoming storm.
Inside the house, the family prepares as well. The children's mother refers to a list, "Flashlights.... Check. Radio.... Check. Batteries.... Check. Move kids downstairs.... kids.... Where are the kids?"
"Anika," she calls out. "You still have to do your homework!"
"I know!" Anika barks down the stairs, as she rolls her eyes at her mother's insistence.
A certain level of providence and care and feeding goes into the growth of a child. Unfortunately, wild, winged urges feed off the love and care provided by parents, and try to crowd as deep as they can into the minds of children. Adult minds are too crowded with schedules and lists and worries to leave much room for the winged beasts.
Anika had reached that level of maturity that created the most fertile and imaginative mindspace without the necessary distraction of adult practicality, so that the highest numbers of wild things rolled and played about inside her mind.
Anika's mother had just spent ten years growing and nurturing and training this beautiful young woman. Therefore, as Mom stares at the ceiling and hears the barked acknowledgement from upstairs, she swats at a lone flitting urge to go grab her child and play tag, and rolls her eyes at the unjust nature of the world.
CHAPTER 3
The Storm
"Look you three," says the children's mother, "I need some help here. The storm has turned north and will be here tomorrow so I have a million things to do. And you need to help me. And you still need to do your homework, Anika."
Mother stares at her child directly. "The teacher has already said that this project deadline will not change due to the hurricane. You have known about it for two months and you haven't done anything."
"Yes, I have!" counters Anika. "You never believe me!"
Kylie, ever the curious seven-year-old watches this exchange closely, while a very determined Lindy chews on a potato chip and continues coloring on the kitchen table with a marker.
"Fine," says the mother, "what is your project about?"
"I am going to build a diorama on Benjamin Franklin."
"Ok. What do you know about Benjamin Franklin?"
"I know that he was an inventor and an author and he traveled all over the world."
"Great," says the mother. "Do you have any research to do on the internet?"
"Of course," says Anika.
"Well, then you had better do it now, because the last storm that came by, well, it knocked the power out for eight days," counsels Anika's mother.
Now, sometimes Mothers can be very clever. Which is very frustrating for spirited and independent children. So unwilling to acknowledge her Mother's cleverness, Anika mopes into the study to begin her project.
In fairness, the excitement and drama associated with preparing for the massive storm seems far more appealing to a young mind than studying about some old man who died two hundred years ago. The urges agree, constantly flitting about the young child's head, causing distraction.
Kylie, sensing that her Mom is collecting her thoughts, sneaks out of the kitchen and slips upstairs. A very focused Lindy continues her art, keeping most of it on the drawing paper.
Outside, the pressure drops as the approaching giant hurricane pushes the sky away.
CHAPTER 4
The Hurricane Room
Under the stairs of the family household is a quaint little room, with crazy angles and spaces. It is a perfect space for storing the odds and ends that should stay hidden until needed. Brooms and buckets and stepladders and paintbrushes and jars of nails line the shelves and the floor It is in this room that mom now herds her children. The room has been outfitted with a twin mattress and flashlights and blankets. It is in the very center of the house, under a very sturdy set of stairs. Mom receives great comfort knowing her children will weather the storm here, in the heart of the house,
Lindy trails the group, dragging a large cardboard box that once housed the hurricane supplies that are now spread throughout the house. Lindy is also holding a marker, the evidence of her work scattered about one of the box flaps.
"Here, give me that marker," demands Mother, outstretching her hand.
A very alarmed Lindy tucks the marker in a tight fist under her chin, wild blues eyes framed by her wispy white child's hair. Possessive thoughts swirl about her head, as well, dancing and twirling with panic and wild abandon.
Dad floats by and throws an unwanted comment into the fray, "Oh let her color the box. It will give them something to do."
One of the wild thoughts gives a curtsey to father, while the rest spin in celebration.
CHAPTER 5
The Box Transform
Three children sit in a closet under the stairs dutifully coloring a cardboard box by flashlight as a hurricane whips around the house outside. Anika colors her portion of the box with a pastoral scene similar to the colonial farms that she had studied in preparation for her homework assignment. Kylie scatters animals around the box—birds and bears and deer and cows. Lindy intently colors her portion of the box in a deep blue, ensuring maximum coverage.
At some time during the evening the three children fall asleep, cuddled inside the big box, cradling markers and flashlights, when KABLOOWY!—a loud crackling noise snaps them awake. Panicked fingers push the box lid open and three sisters stand up blinking in the sunlight of a bright autumn afternoon.
The children are standing in a box in a field on the shore of a large deep-blue pond. Strangely, kites soar in a bright sky that surrounds and envelopes them. As they stand there absorbing this phenomenon, a young boy is working on the edge of the water. He is struggling with a row boat and another very large kite.
From appearances, it seems that the young man is attempting to launch the boat and then to jump into the boat, while holding this large kite.
However, as interesting and curious that the image of the young boy struggling to fly a kite while launching a row boat may be, imagine the wonderment that the children will feel when they discover that the image that they are witnessing occurred in the year 1718!
CHAPTER 6
Meet the Boy
The girls, mesmerized by the boy's antics, temporarily forget their strange situation, and step out of the box. Approaching the boy and the boat, Kylie speaks first, "What are you doing?"
The frazzled boy stares at the three sisters. "What an odd question. What do you think that I am doing? Obviously, I am going to propel this boat by capturing the wind as a motive force."
Kylie surveys the arrangement and passes prompt judgment. "It is not going to work."
The young boy pauses in his effort and examines the girl, before passing judgment himself. "Well, what would a girl know about mechanics?" he asks, before turning around to reflect on his experiment.
Defending her sister, Anika quips, "Well, a girl would know to use a motor," before taking her sister's hand and turning away from the pond. As her sisters trundle across the field, the boy collects himself and calls, "Wait! What did you say?"
Anika spins around, fire in her hazel eyes, "If I asked you to pull that boat along the water using a bit of string, you would think that I was crazy. Yet, you are trying to pull that boat using a bit of string tied to a kite. So I told you that I would use a motor. Any educated person knows that."
The experiment temporarily forgotten, the boy stares even more curiously at the girls. "You mean that you are educated?"
"Of course."
The boy ponders this fact. "What do you know?"
"Lots."
The boy furrows his brow. "You mean that you have studied Homer? Cicero? Socrates? Archimedes?" The boy stands defiantly, hands on his hips.
Ignoring the challenge, Anika rebuts, "Well, have you studied trigonometry or the scientific method?"
The two young students square off. Dragonflies drift on the breeze, flitting about the commons, sprinkling the landscape with magical bits of color and spark.
Anika stares at the boy. He is probably twelve years old, with a round face. He is wearing a ridiculous pair of pants tucked somehow into his socks. It is a very formal looking outfit actually, with a vest and dress shoes.
A quizzical thought lands on Anika's brow and drills straight into her head, snapping her into reality. "Where are we?" suddenly thinks Anika.
CHAPTER 7
Walk to Town
Breaking the silence, and voicing the doubt in her sister's mind, Kylie expresses the same pressing need,
"Anika, where are we?"
Anika's eyes are darting around the field, taking in the breeze-kissed grasses, swaying with the hopes and thoughts and doubts in the air. "I do not know, Kylie."
"Well, I know that it will soon be late," says the boy, "and you shouldn't be caught here after dark lest Mary Dyer gets you." To which the boy turns on his heel and begins the return to the boat.
The girls share a look with each other. Anxiety and concern replace the previously-felt defiance. "Excuse me, who is Mary Dyer?"
The boy stops his intent march. "Surely, you know the story? The story of Mary Dyer—the last Quaker of the City on a Hill?"
The girls' expressions indicate that obviously they were quite unaware of this woman.
The boy continues, "Mary Dyer was burned at the stake, right here in the Commons. It is said that she has never left the Commons, and roams this area still."
Lindy, who has no idea what a Quaker is, or even for that matter, what a burning stake might be, can tell from the young boy's tone that she doesn't want to encounter either one here. She cautiously scans the field with her bright eyes, ensuring that the coast is clear, and moves between her two big sisters.
Intrigued by this strangely dressed, peculiar band of human beings staring owl-eyed at him, the inquisitive nature of the boy takes over. "Say. Just from whence do you hail?"
"We are from Texas." Kylie proudly exclaims.
"Yeah, we are from Texas!" repeats Lindy.
The boy squints his eyes disapprovingly. "Texas? Where is this Texas? I do not believe that there is any such thing."
Anika, refusing to allow this slight pass, says, "Texas is the biggest state in the Union. Well, except for Alaska."
This really bothers the young boy, who does not like to be bested or taught about new things in such a pointed and direct manner. Wrinkling his nose and smacking his lips to dislodge some emotions perched on his tongue, the boy replies, "None of what you are saying is sensical."
Anika shakes her head. "Texas? On the Gulf Coast? Next to Louisiana?"
Now this really seems to excite the young man, and a flurry of wonder and curiousity surround him. "Do you mean that you hail from the frontier? Have you seen Mexicans and Indians then?" asks the young man.
A confused silence steals into the conversation again, vexing the young people's minds and toying with their thoughts. The boy shakes off the uncomfortable silence. "Well, then, why are you in Boston? Where are your parents? Are you indentured somewhere?"
The children have now pulled close together with confusion and despair and wonderment circling the group in an exquisite dance. It is not often that so many fresh passions and feelings come together so cleverly in a beautiful field on the twilight of a sunny autumn day.
Seeing the conflict in the girls' eyes, the boy acquiesces and invites a parley. "As it seems fortune has brought us together, assist me with stowing my experiment, and I shall protect you from Mary Dyer by escorting you back to the city. Now, shall we go?"
"Tick tock," says Lindy.
"Yes, quite. Time is not on our side at this moment." The boy leans towards the youngest child to catch her eye conspiratorially, "Tick tock, indeed."
The boy straightens and turns towards the pond. "My name is Benjamin, by the way," he tosses over his shoulder.
CHAPTER 8
Boston and the Carriage-Driver
Having released the kites from the cloying wind and stowing the row boat in its berth, the children walk towards the town to the south east.
Benjamin confidently takes the group to Common Street, which is a wide dirt track littered with animal dung, and framed by small wood-frame and brick houses and store fronts.
The children thread between carts drawn by horses, deftly stepping around piles of horse droppings, all of which fascinate the wide-eyed Lindy. Everyone in town seems to be dressed very formally, complete with hats and bonnets. In fact, the street looks like Easter service just ended. Surprise and wonderment flit about the girls, while more devious emotions strive for attention. Anika and Kylie are suddenly conscious that they are wearing sweats and sneakers.
Sensing some discomfort, Benjamin provides distracting commentary, pointing out the addresses of prominent and important townsfolk as they pass. As he speaks, Lindy takes his hand.
They approach a horse-drawn carriage. A man dressed in a suit with tails and a top hat is feeding some oats to a horse. He talks to the horse, as the horse nibbles from his hand.
"Hello, Neal!" greets Benjamin.
"Why hello there, Master Ben. Have you had much success on the lake today?"
Benjamin, proud of his acquaintance with adult company, proudly shares the day's adventures. Soon the conversation turns to the strange crew standing behind Benjamin.
"And who are these lovely lasses? Did you uncover mermaids in the Commons Lake?"
Benjamin turns up the corner of his mouth as he enters deep reflection. "It seems that these three are travelers from a place called Texas, which is somewhere west of Louisiana."
Neal straightens up and appraises the girls more carefully. Benjamin confides, "I fear they have been marooned and require some charity."
Neal's eyes soften. The colonies are tough places to live in the best of times, and marooned travelers are often at the mercy of others. To be so young presented an additional hardship. Neal walked around to the carriage and produced a package made from a small handkerchief tied up at the corners.
"Here Master Ben," Neal offers the bag. "It is not much, but it is all that I have."
"Thank you, sir. It is very generous."
Benjamin bows, takes the package, and continues to lead the girls down the street.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Cardboard Box Children by Scott W. Guttormson. Copyright © 2013 Scott W. Guttormson. Excerpted by permission of Trafford Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Chapter 1—Homework.................... 1
Chapter 2—The Calm.................... 3
Chapter 3—The Storm.................... 5
Chapter 4—The Hurricane Room.................... 7
Chapter 5—The Box Transform.................... 9
Chapter 6—Meet the Boy.................... 11
Chapter 7—Walk to Town.................... 15
Chapter 8—Boston and the Carriage-Driver.................... 19
Chapter 9—The School.................... 23
Chapter 10—The Haldimand Confrontation.................... 25
Chapter 11—Continue the walk.................... 27
Chapter 12—The rescue.................... 31
Chapter 13—The Print Shop.................... 33
Chapter 14—Brother James.................... 35
Chapter 15—The Obverse.................... 37
Chapter 16—Milk Street.................... 39
Chapter 17—Franklin Home.................... 41
Chapter 18—Dinner.................... 47
Chapter 19—Benjamin's Parents.................... 49
Chapter 20—Franklin's Living Room.................... 51
Chapter 21—Dinner.................... 53
Chapter 22—Song.................... 57
Chapter 23—Shared Troubles.................... 59
Chapter 24—Morning.................... 61
Chapter 25—Science.................... 65
Chapter 26—Library.................... 67
Chapter 27—The World is Round.................... 69
Chapter 28—The Scientific Method.................... 73
Chapter 29—Night.................... 75
Chapter 30—New Morning.................... 79
Chapter 31—The Race.................... 81
Chapter 32—The Rules.................... 87
Chapter 33—The Market.................... 89
Chapter 34—Flying a Kite.................... 93
Chapter 35—The Test.................... 97
Chapter 36—Thunderclap.................... 99