were hundreds of birds and butterflies, and the great pine woods were
always cool and shady when the sun was too bright.

When it was autumn the fathers gathered the barley and wheat and corn
that they had planted, and found that it had grown so well that they
would have quite enough for the long winter that was coming.

"Let us thank God for it all," they said. "It is He who has made the
sun shine and the rain fall and the corn grow." So they thanked God in
their homes and in their little church; the fathers and the mothers
and the children thanked Him.

"Then," said the Pilgrim mothers, "let us have a great Thanksgiving
party, and invite the friendly Indians, and all rejoice together."

So they had the first Thanksgiving party, and a grand one it was! Four
men went out shooting one whole day, and brought back so many wild
ducks and geese and great wild turkeys that there was enough for
almost a week. There was deer meat also, of course, for there were
plenty of fine deer in the forest. Then the Pilgrim mothers made the
corn and wheat into bread and cakes, and they had fish and clams from
the sea besides.

The friendly Indians all came with their chief Massasoit. Every one
came that was invited, and more, I dare say, for there were ninety of
them altogether.

They brought five deer with them, that they gave to the Pilgrims; and
they must have liked the party very much, for they stayed three days.