Read Online A Way Through the Sea by Robert Elmer - Free Book Online
Authors: Robert Elmer
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which Peter always thought was fun to watch. Most other birds have to get a mouthful and tip it back to drink.
The birds fluttered around Peter’s feet as he tiptoed around the coop. He could see they were going to have to do some serious cleaning pretty soon.
“Hey, Peter,” said Grandfather as Peter finished his chore. “Your uncle needs a crewman or two to help him this weekend.” He cleared his throat. “And I can’t make it. Just a few hours tomorrow. Saturday. Short trip. You available?”
Who was he kidding? Peter had wanted to go out with his uncle and grandfather for as long as he could remember. But his parents had never let him—yet—and he had really never been asked. “Sure, Grandpa,” he replied, “but—"
“I already talked to your father,” he interrupted. “And we agreed you were old enough to go out this time. You won’t be staying out overnight or anything. Your uncle leaves at six thirty.”
“Fantastic!” yelled Peter, closing the door to the coop. Then he stopped short. “But what about Elise and Henrik? You think his parents would let him come, too?”
“That’s up to them. You can ask. Elise can come, too, if she wants. I’m just not sure if she does. Ask her at school today.” Peter’s grandfather smiled, then waved Peter out the door. “Out with you now, or you’ll be late for school.”
“School. Oh, yeah.” Peter remembered that Henrik would be waiting for him by the big Saint Mary’s church, a couple of blocks from school. Now he would have to run to make it on time—as usual. “I’ll be here first thing in the morning. Six o’clock.”
“Don’t be late,” Grandfather called after him as Peter ran out the door. “Your uncle will be waiting for you.”
Peter hardly heard. Wait until I tell Henrik and Elise!
He met up with Henrik at the church, where the other boy was waiting impatiently.
“What took you so long?” asked Henrik, kicking a pebble down the street.
“I had to talk to Grandfather about something,” said Peter. “He asked if we wanted to go out on the boat Saturday.”
Henrik’s eyes grew wide. “No kidding? And it’s okay with your folks?”
“He said he already talked with them and everything, and that if it’s okay with your parents...”
Henrik winced. “I don’t know, Peter. But we can try. You know how my parents are. What about your sister?”
“Did someone mention my name?” said Elise, who had just run up behind the boys on her way down the street. As usual, she had an armload of books, too many to keep in her red school backpack. She had Mrs. Becker, the other fifth grade teacher, in the classroom next to Henrik’s and Peter’s.
Henrik wheeled around, surprised. Elise usually walked to school with her girl friends. “Oh, it’s you,” he said.
“Of course it’s me,” said Elise, in a teasing manner. “So what did you mean, `What about your sister?’ “
“Grandpa just asked me this morning when I was feeding the birds if we wanted to go out on their boat tomorrow,” said Peter. “He said Mom and Dad told him it was okay.”
“Great!” she said, pulling at the strap of her backpack while she balanced her extra books in the other hand. “But do you think Henrik’s parents will say yes?” She looked quickly over at Henrik, who was kicking the pebble again.
“Maybe,” said Peter, feeling hopeful. He was already thinking of all the foot long herring his uncle and grandfather sometimes returned with. The little silvery fish were everybody’s favorite, pickled and sliced on dark rye bread. It was something every Dane learned to eat, almost before they could walk.
“Yeah, and maybe Mr. Jensen will cancel school today and give us a big party,” said Henrik. He was smiling, but he and Peter both knew his chances were slim.
Elise ran on ahead. Henrik and Peter made it to school—a large, three story brick building on King Street—just as the principal, Mr. Jensen, was closing the doors.
“Just
The birds fluttered around Peter’s feet as he tiptoed around the coop. He could see they were going to have to do some serious cleaning pretty soon.
“Hey, Peter,” said Grandfather as Peter finished his chore. “Your uncle needs a crewman or two to help him this weekend.” He cleared his throat. “And I can’t make it. Just a few hours tomorrow. Saturday. Short trip. You available?”
Who was he kidding? Peter had wanted to go out with his uncle and grandfather for as long as he could remember. But his parents had never let him—yet—and he had really never been asked. “Sure, Grandpa,” he replied, “but—"
“I already talked to your father,” he interrupted. “And we agreed you were old enough to go out this time. You won’t be staying out overnight or anything. Your uncle leaves at six thirty.”
“Fantastic!” yelled Peter, closing the door to the coop. Then he stopped short. “But what about Elise and Henrik? You think his parents would let him come, too?”
“That’s up to them. You can ask. Elise can come, too, if she wants. I’m just not sure if she does. Ask her at school today.” Peter’s grandfather smiled, then waved Peter out the door. “Out with you now, or you’ll be late for school.”
“School. Oh, yeah.” Peter remembered that Henrik would be waiting for him by the big Saint Mary’s church, a couple of blocks from school. Now he would have to run to make it on time—as usual. “I’ll be here first thing in the morning. Six o’clock.”
“Don’t be late,” Grandfather called after him as Peter ran out the door. “Your uncle will be waiting for you.”
Peter hardly heard. Wait until I tell Henrik and Elise!
He met up with Henrik at the church, where the other boy was waiting impatiently.
“What took you so long?” asked Henrik, kicking a pebble down the street.
“I had to talk to Grandfather about something,” said Peter. “He asked if we wanted to go out on the boat Saturday.”
Henrik’s eyes grew wide. “No kidding? And it’s okay with your folks?”
“He said he already talked with them and everything, and that if it’s okay with your parents...”
Henrik winced. “I don’t know, Peter. But we can try. You know how my parents are. What about your sister?”
“Did someone mention my name?” said Elise, who had just run up behind the boys on her way down the street. As usual, she had an armload of books, too many to keep in her red school backpack. She had Mrs. Becker, the other fifth grade teacher, in the classroom next to Henrik’s and Peter’s.
Henrik wheeled around, surprised. Elise usually walked to school with her girl friends. “Oh, it’s you,” he said.
“Of course it’s me,” said Elise, in a teasing manner. “So what did you mean, `What about your sister?’ “
“Grandpa just asked me this morning when I was feeding the birds if we wanted to go out on their boat tomorrow,” said Peter. “He said Mom and Dad told him it was okay.”
“Great!” she said, pulling at the strap of her backpack while she balanced her extra books in the other hand. “But do you think Henrik’s parents will say yes?” She looked quickly over at Henrik, who was kicking the pebble again.
“Maybe,” said Peter, feeling hopeful. He was already thinking of all the foot long herring his uncle and grandfather sometimes returned with. The little silvery fish were everybody’s favorite, pickled and sliced on dark rye bread. It was something every Dane learned to eat, almost before they could walk.
“Yeah, and maybe Mr. Jensen will cancel school today and give us a big party,” said Henrik. He was smiling, but he and Peter both knew his chances were slim.
Elise ran on ahead. Henrik and Peter made it to school—a large, three story brick building on King Street—just as the principal, Mr. Jensen, was closing the doors.
“Just
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