NEWTON'S DINNER
MAYFLOWER
It was in 1620, in the time of King James the First. English people did not like their king and they called him «The foolish King of England». Many of them even left England and went to live in other countries.
In November, 1620 a a small chip, the Mayflower, left England. There were about one hundred people aboard the ship. For seven long weeks the Mayflower was in the waves and storms of the Atlantic Ocean, and at last the people saw land. It was America.
It was already autumn. It was raining and a cold wind was blowing. Sixteen men left the Mayflower and went ashere. In the evening they came back to the ship and brought some maize with them. When the people on board the Mayflower tried it they liked it very much.
Next day was Sunday and everybody on the Mayflower had a rest. On Monday some men went ashore again and this time they took some women with them. The women had to wash the clothes. Simce that tiae Monday has been a wash-day in America.
During the next five weeks the mea from the Mayflower left the ship every day. Sometimes they did not come back for many days; they were looking for a good place to live. There was a good harbour for ships there, some field aad forests near it and even a small river. The people began to build a village there.
On January, 1621 there were already two streets in this village, and they called it «New Plymouth».
One day the people of the village suddenly saw a tall Indian who was walking along the street. They were frightened very much, but this Indian came up to them, smiled and said, «Hallo, Yankee!»
Few days later this Indian came to the village again together with some other Indians. They came as friends aad helped the white men very anch. But white men forgot about this help very quickly; a few yeas later when many people from Europe came to America, thay began to take the land away from the Indians and to kill them.
At last spring came. The people of New Plymouth began to plant corn, and the Indians showed them how to plant maize.
In autumn the crops were very good and the people of New Plymouth wanted to make a holiday dinner. They asked the Indians to this dinner and the Indians brought some wild turkeys as a present. The turkey was an American bird. Very few people in Europe had ever heard aboat it, but when they ate it at this dinner they liked it very much. The people of New Plymouth called their holiday «Thanksgiving Day».
Sir Isaac Newton was often so deeply interested in difficult problems that he became quite absent-minded. One day a gentleman came to see him, but was told that Sir Isaac was busy in his study and that nobody was allowed to disturb him.
As it was dinner-time, the visitor sat down in the dining-room to wait for the scientist. The servant came in and placed on the table a boiled chicken under a cover. An hour passed, but Newton did not appear. The gentleman, feeling hungry, ate chicken, and covering up the skeleton, asked the servant to prepare another one for his master.
Before the second chicken was ready, however, the scientist entered the room, apologizing for his delay. Then he added: «As I feel rather tired and hungry, I hope you will excuse me a little longer, while I take my dinner, and then I will be at your service». With these words he lifted the cover, and without emotion turned round to the gentleman and said: «See what a strange people we scientists are. I quite forgot that I had dined already».
At this moment the servant brought in the other chicken. The visitor explained how matters stood. After a hearty laugh, the hungry scientist sat down to dine.