Wee Thanksgiving

How do you explain Thanksgiving to a 3-year-old?

"A long time ago..."

"Yesterday?"

"No, more than yesterday. A bunch of people came in a big boat."

"Pirates?"

"No, good guys and mamas and babies."
“And boys, too?"

"Yup, and boys, too. But when they got in the woods, they were hungry, but they didn't know what to eat."

"And they had bears in the woods, and tigers."

"Probably, but they didn't see them. So, they were hungry and walked around looking for something to eat. And then came the Indians who lived in the woods."

"With... with bows and arrows and shooting?"

"No, no. The Indians said they would help them find something good to eat."
"Like fruit bars and pop tarts and chickanuggets?"

"Well, the Indians said they should have a picnic, and so the Indians got some turkeys to eat and they cooked 'em and made fry bread and corn on the cob."

"But no peas, but some cottage cheese and bread and honey?"

"Right, so they made a big table..."

"On the blanket?"

"Yeah, no table, just a big blanket and they all ate and ate till their stomachs were full."

"And the little boys, too?"

"And the little boys and little girls and little boy and girl Indians, all of 'em ate and then took a nap."

"But the little boys no wanna take a nap. Little boys wanna play with bows and arrows."

"Okay, but when everyone woke up, they were happy. So, the Indians shook hands and they all said Thanksgiving to each other and Thanksgiving to God."

"And to Jesus and Pastor Mike and Grandmother Phyllis and to all the little boys."

"Yup, and they said it was so much fun, let's do it next year."
"And tomorrow or free days."

"So now, every year we have Thanksgiving with friends and eat a lot and say thanks for the blessings we have."

"Blessing? What looks like, a blessing?"

"A blessing? Sometimes it looks like a little boy."

"Like me?"

"Yup, sometimes it looks just like you."

Baxter Black is a cowboy poet, former large-animal veterinarian and entertainer of the agricultural masses. Learn more at www.baxterblack.com.