In a small village, two best friends, Submit Thompson and Sarah Adams, eagerly awaited Thanksgiving. Both their families took pride in their hefty turkeys. Sarah’s family named their turkey “Thankful,” a name that Submit’s family’s turkey, too, seemed to carry in its grandeur.
Before the holiday, Submit and Sarah made a playful bet: If Sarah’s turkey turned out to be heavier, Submit would give Sarah her beautiful work-box, and if Submit’s turkey was heavier, Sarah would give her beloved doll, also named Thankful, to Submit.
However, as Thanksgiving neared, Submit became anxious. She desperately wanted Thankful, the doll, but feared their turkey might not weigh enough. In her worry, she hatched a plan to add weight to their turkey by hiding stones inside it.
When the weigh-in day arrived, Jonas, Submit’s brother, announced after weighing the turkey, “He weighs twenty pounds and a quarter. He’s the biggest turkey that was ever raised in these parts.” His excitement was hard to contain, but Submit was quiet, burdened by her secret.
On Thanksgiving morning, Sarah appeared at the Thompson’s doorstep with a sorrowful expression. She handed over her doll, Thankful, to Submit, her eyes full of unshed tears. “What does this mean?” Submit’s puzzled father asked.
Confronted with the confusion and sadness in everyone’s eyes, guilt overtook Submit. In a tremulous voice, she confessed, “Our turkey didn’t weigh the most. I put the stones in his crop.”
A stunned silence filled the room before Submit’s mother sent her upstairs without dinner. A tearful Sarah was also sent to her room for participating in the bet. The two girls peered at each other through their little windows, each punished and feeling terribly sorry for their actions.
Just when their Thanksgiving seemed to be spoiled, kindness made an entrance. Submit’s grandmother gently told her, “You had better come downstairs, child. Your father isn’t going to scold you this time because you told the truth about it, but you mustn’t ever do such a dreadful wicked thing again.”
At the same time, Sarah’s Aunt Rose smiled warmly at her and assured, “I forgive you, dear. Come down for dinner.” Seeing the delighted exchange between Sarah and Aunt Rose, Submit’s grandmother promised, “If you behave well, Sarah’s Aunt Rose will make you a doll just like Thankful.”
With hearts full of gratitude, the girls joined their families for a Thanksgiving feast, richer in lessons of honesty, forgiveness, and the spirit of Thanksgiving. And so, it was indeed a memorable and meaningful Thanksgiving for both families.
