Once upon a time, Pete the Cat was getting ready for a special play at school. He was going to be a pilgrim in the Thanksgiving play. Pete felt a little nervous, but his best friend Callie told him to just do his best. Pete’s mom even made him a cool pilgrim hat to wear!
In the play, Pete was a pilgrim on a big ship called the Mayflower. A long time ago, in 1620, a group of pilgrims decided to leave their home in England to find a new place to live. They wanted to start a new life in a place called the New World. The trip was long and the sea was rough, but the pilgrims sang songs to keep their spirits up.
After more than two months on the ship, Pete and the pilgrims finally saw land. Pete shouted, “Land Ho!” and everyone was so happy. They had reached the New World!
When the pilgrims arrived, they landed at a place called Plymouth Rock, which is in what we now call Massachusetts. There was a lot of work to do. They had to grow food, find water, and build homes. The first winter was very hard, and the pilgrims had to decide if they should stay or go back to England.
Pete was hopeful and thought they would make new friends. He was right! The pilgrims met a kind Native American named Squanto. Squanto and his friends taught the pilgrims how to grow crops like corn, beans, and squash. By summer, the pilgrims were learning how to farm and take care of themselves.
By fall, the pilgrims had plenty of food, thanks to Squanto and the Native Americans. They decided to have a big feast to celebrate and give thanks. This feast became known as the first Thanksgiving. Everyone was happy and thankful for their new friends and the food they had grown together.
After the play, Pete felt proud that he remembered all his lines. He realized how hard life was for the pilgrims back then. At Thanksgiving dinner with his family, Pete suggested they all share something they were thankful for. Pete’s mom said she was thankful for family, and Pete said he was thankful for the brave pilgrims who started a new world.
Thanksgiving is a special time to remember what we are grateful for, like family, friends, and the things that make us happy. What are you thankful for?
Create Your Own Pilgrim Hat: Just like Pete’s mom made him a pilgrim hat, you can make your own! Use construction paper, scissors, and glue to create a pilgrim hat. Once you’ve made your hat, wear it and imagine what it would be like to be a pilgrim on the Mayflower. What would you pack for the long journey? Share your thoughts with a friend or family member.
Grow Your Own Crops: Squanto taught the pilgrims how to grow crops like corn, beans, and squash. Try planting some seeds in a small pot or garden. Watch them grow over time and think about how the pilgrims felt when they saw their crops growing. What do plants need to grow? Talk about your observations with your class or family.
Thankfulness Tree: Create a thankfulness tree with your family or classmates. Use a large piece of paper to draw a tree trunk and branches. Cut out leaf shapes from colored paper. On each leaf, write or draw something you are thankful for. Attach the leaves to the tree. Discuss with others why being thankful is important and how it makes you feel.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided transcript:
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**Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving**
By Kimberly and James Dean
Pete was nervous about being a pilgrim in his class’s Thanksgiving play. “Just do your best,” his best friend Callie said. Pete said he would try; he was ready. His mom had even made him a pilgrim hat, which was really cool.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Ryan! You know what Thanksgiving always reminds me of? It reminds me that I need to be thankful for the things in my life.”
“Oh yeah, totally! And you know what I’m thankful for? I think you’re probably going to say the same thing after reading that page.”
“Oh yeah, totally! I know what you’re going to say. Say it on three. Ready? 1, 2, 3… hats!”
“Did you say…?”
“What did you say?”
“Moms!”
“Nonono, I said hats!”
“No, I said moms! Yeah, because I mean, she had me, she’s raised me, she’s given me everything that I have, and I just love moms. I’m very thankful for moms.”
“That’s what I thought! And hats?”
“What?”
Pete took his place at the front of the giant ship that his class had made out of cardboard. Pete was a pilgrim on the Mayflower in 1620. A group of pilgrims decided to leave England for the New World to build a new life. It was a long trip on a big ship. All the pilgrims sang. The sea was rough and very dangerous; many pilgrims got very sick. The dream of a new start in a new world made the hard trip all worth it.
For more than two months, the pilgrims sailed. They set sail in September 1620 and wondered if they would ever get there. After 65 days on the ship, the New World finally came into view. “Land Ho!” Pete cried. All the pilgrims did a happy dance.
“Ryan, you know what I would be thankful for after a long trip on the sea?”
“100% I do know, Craig! When you see it, you’re going to be super excited!”
“Yeah, I think I know what I’m going to say.”
“Here we go, three… 1, 2, 3!”
“Did you say… land?”
“It’s not like you said hats again!”
“No, I said land!”
“Craig, obviously I’m on the sea. You can get seasick; you don’t get land sick! You’re going to build a whole life on land!”
“I was saying land!”
“Good, great! And that’s what land is!”
“Okay, yeah, sorry.”
The pilgrims arrived in the New World at Plymouth Rock in what is now Massachusetts. Everyone had many chores to do, like growing food, finding water, and building shelters. The first winter in the New World was long and hard. In the spring, the pilgrims had to decide whether to give up and go back to England or keep trying. The pilgrims had heard about the Native Americans, and many worried that they would not be friendly. Pete had never met a cat he didn’t like, so he thought they would be kind.
Pete was right; he made a new friend in Squanto. Squanto and the other Native Americans showed the pilgrims how to grow crops like corn, beans, and squash. By summer, the pilgrims had learned how to farm the new land.
“Ryan, Craig, I know what I would be thankful for if I was in a new land struggling for survival and didn’t know where I was going to get my food.”
“Oh yeah, me too! Are you sure?”
“Yes!”
“Oh yeah, yes! On three, ready? 1, 2, 3… friendship!”
“You said hats!”
“No, I didn’t!”
“They heard you; you said hats!”
“No, I said friendship! Because, Craig, why would I want hats in this situation?”
“I don’t know; I would want a community of people that I could be around and enjoy life with. Friendship is the most important thing in the world to me!”
“Okay, just right behind hats.”
“What? Right behind what?”
“Right behind what?”
“I mean, at least say food or say shelter! Why are you saying hats?”
“No, those are all important, and obviously friendship!”
“Okay, but hats are a shelter for your head if you think about it.”
By fall, the pilgrims had plenty of food to thank Squanto and the other Native Americans. The pilgrims invited them to share the harvest. This celebration became known as the first Thanksgiving.
He was relieved when the play was over; he had remembered all his lines. “Wow, I never thought about how hard it was back then,” said Pete.
“You did great!” Callie said later.
At Thanksgiving dinner with his family, Pete said, “Let’s all go around the table and say something we are thankful for.”
“I’m thankful for my family,” said Pete’s mom.
“I’m thankful for my skateboard,” said Bob.
“I’m thankful for the brave pilgrims that started this new free world,” said Pete.
“What are you thankful for?”
“Alright, Ryan, open question: what are you thankful for?”
“But I think the answer is pretty obvious at this point.”
“I think the answer is 100% obvious, Craig!”
“Okay, alright, on three. Yep, one, two, three… my family!”
“What did you say?”
“Hats!”
“You got me thinking about hats, and now I’m thinking hats are great! They keep your head warm; they’re fashionable!”
“Craig, you could think of anything in the world to be thankful for!”
“I said my family!”
“And you said… hats? A material possession?”
“I just… it said what are you thankful for, and that’s what I was thinking about!”
“You’re not even wearing one!”
“Family, okay? I’m thankful for family!”
“Thank you, ’cause they buy me hats!”
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**[Music]**
