Monday, June 27, 2011

Seabird, Ch 24: A matter of Bridges

From Micah (year 2):
Ezra asked Jim what he had learned. He asked him what he had decided. Jim said that he decided that someday he would build engines that would run on oil, not coal. And he said with that, that the firemen and deck hands wouldn't have to shovel the coal. And the ships would only have to shop to get more oil and not coal (it didn't actually say that, but it would be that way). I think ships run by gas now.

From Mom:
Jim is in Europe on his voyage. He starts wondering how ships used to be built and run. His dad explains to him that ships used to run on human power. With slaves chained to oars and beat with whips. Jim mused that Seabird saw Ezra slave on a whaler ship, and saw Nathaniel work hard on ships too, and wondered if people on steamers work hard. So he took a while and watched the people work, concluding that yes, they do work hard. Then he decided that he would like to build a ship that doesn't require people to work so hard. Instead of shoveling coal, they would turn a valve for oil, and the ship would run on that. The sailors would have better cabins and better pay. He tells all this to his Grandpa, who remarks "And I thought you'd outgrown Seabird!".

Seabird, Ch 23 Some people grow to be Machines

From Micah (year 2):
When Jim was 8, he built a ship engine. When he was ten, he thought he was old enough to go on the ship. It was a steamer. A young man was hired to teach him while they were on the ship.

From Mom:
When Nathaniel grew up, he married and had a baby, that they names James or Jim. Jim was always around ships, but when he was still young, decided he liked engines better than ships. He in particular liked the big engines of the steamers. He did a dance to the time of the engine. When he was 8, he sailed on a steamer, and had a tutor to teach him more because his Dad couldn't handle all his questions. Everyone thought that he had outgrown Seabird because he never played with it, and he had bolted the bird to his wall. But when they asked him, he said "You know I admire odd inventions".

Burgess Bird Book for Children. Ch 18. Some homes in the green Forest: Crow, Oven-bird and Red-tailed Hawk

From Eva (year 1):
Redtail few near Peter, and Mrs. Redtail brought food to her chicks. Redtail had stripes on his top and not as many stripes on the bottom. Peter was hiding and he heard Blackie the Crow calling "Fox, fox". Peter wanted to know if Blackie was living in his old nest. And he was. And he wanted to know if Redtail was living in his old nest too.

Micah adds (year 2):
There was also an Oven Bird, named "Teacher". He built a nest like an oven.

Eva:
And he said "Stop, Peter, Stop". Because Peter was about to step on his nest. And he said "You are going to step on my nest!". It looked like a little pile of leaves, and like an oven. He looked like a thrush, but he doesn't build his nest like a thrush. He was a little smaller than a thrush, and he legs were longer than a thrush too.

Aesop Fables, Part 3 ch. 13. The Old Lion

From Eva (year 1):

A fox came to a cave that the old lion lived in. And the fox stayed outside while He addressed the lion. The lion said "Why don't you come in?". And the fox said, "Because I have seen footprints pointing toward the cave, and none pointing the other way". The lion had been pretending he was sick, and getting food by pretending. By pouncing on the animals that came in to the cave.

Aesop Fables, Part 3 ch. 12. The She-Goats and Their Beards

From Eva (year 1):

Someone (Jupiter) gave the she-goats beards on their own request. And The He-goats didn't like it. And they went to the Jupiter and talked to him. And the Jupiter said "Let them have beards if they want them."

Mom adds:
Jupiter told the He-goats to not bother with just a tuft of hair, because their strength was much greater than that of the She-goats.

This Country of Ours, Ch. 3 How Columbus Fared Forth Upon The Sea of Darkness and Came to Pleasant Lands Beyond

From Micah (year 2):

They saw many savages.

The sailors lost heart.

They sailed from Spain to India. Well, they were trying to get to India. But on the way they got to other Islands. White snow-birds came. So they thought land was near. At night, Columbus saw a light disappearing and re-appearing. I think that was a savage carrying it. The sailors wanted to throw Columbus overboard, because they wanted to go back home.

From Mom:

Columbus's ship left Spain, and as land went out of sight on the journey, the men cried, thinking they would never see their homes again. (Remember, they had been forced on this journey). They sailed for weeks and weeks. Columbus kept track of how far they had gone, but showed the men a track with much less distance than the real log, because he didn't want the men to know how far from home they were. The men grew discouraged and planned mutiny - to throw Columbus overboard and return home. But the Captain thought he spotted land, and everyone grew more cheerful. It was just a cloud however. They also saw seaweed and land birds, that made them think they were close to land, but they never got there. They were again discouraged and planning to toss out Columbus and return home, when Columbus himself spotted what looked like a light appearing and disappearing. Two other seamen verified that it was indeed a light, and at 2am the next morning, land was sighted, for real this time. Columbus was so pleased that he bowed his knees and prayed, and kissed the ground when they landed.

They came in search of gold, but all they found were natives, tobacco, potatoes, and a little gold. He was still convinced that he was off the shore of India, and kept going from Island to Island looking for India, or at least gold and spices. He was in fact, between North and South America, in the Islands that, because of his journey, called the "West Indies".

Viking Tales, Ch 9. The Sea Fight

From Eva, (year 1):

King Harold and his men lept into the King Arnvid's ship. They fought. King Arnvid jumped into the water because he didn't King Harold to kill him, he wanted to die in the water instead. He laughed when he jumped into the water. King Arnvid's men thought they could surprise Harold, so they got in their ships and saled back to King Harold's ship. When they got there, they started fighting. King Harold wasn't surprised, but was ready for them.

Added by Micah (year 2): King Harold won the battle.

From Mom:
King Harold and King Arnvid had been fighting at sea. In the beginning of the chapter, King Arnvid reasons that King Harold had a tough fight yesterday, and would be recuperating today, so this was a great time to attack. He turned his ships to attack, and when they collided the battle began. They threw rocks, arrows and spears, and many men died. Many on both sides died or were wounded. Harold laughed as he battled. When King Arnvid and King Harold met, Arnvid refused to let
Harold kill him and jumped into the sea. Many of his men did likewise. The whole fleets of both sides fought, many ships sunk. Harold won the battle, winning many new subjects also. And everyone heard of Harold's great battles.