Abby
woke up feeling slightly fuzzy and confused.
Then she remembered- she was going to Cavan! Hurriedly she got dressed and braided her
hair. She found her knapsack and stuffed
her comb, her pocket
knife, and her flint into it. Then
she slid down the ladder, nearly knocking over her mother.
“I
see someone is in a hurry to get somewhere,” exclaimed her mother. “Go wash your face and sit down and eat. You’ve got a long trip ahead of you. No need to hurry.”
Abby
sat down at the table and began to eat the biscuits and jam her mother set
before her. She noticed her mother
riffling through the bag before dumping everything on the table.
“What
are you doing?” she asked in dismay.
Her
mother gave her a disappointed look.
“What will your uncle think of me if you showed up on his doorstep with
this bag? You wouldn’t make it halfway
to Cavan.”
Abby
was distressed- had her mother decided to make her stay home? Fortunately, her mother simply turned to the
trunk by the wall and began to open it.
“At least I wouldn’t have to worry about the robbers bothering you- you
wouldn’t have brought anything worth taking.”
She
lifted out an old quilt that was small and faded but warm and sturdy enough to
serve as a bed on the road. Then she
took out a few handkerchiefs, extra pairs of socks, and another bag. “For food,” she explained. “I’ll fill it up while you go back upstairs
and get some clothes. Toss them down to
me and say good bye to your siblings.”
When
Abby came back down, her bag was neatly packed and a sack of hard biscuits,
jerked meat, and dried fruit sat beside it.
Her father had come inside from checking on the sheep. He handed her a map, nearly the same as the
one the innkeeper had. He must have kept
it somewhere where the children couldn’t find it and rip it. “Keep it safe and you won’t get lost.” Then he handed her a bottle to fill up when she came to streams.
Her brothers and sisters, awoken by the
commotion, came stumbling down the ladder.
Matthew had grumpily told them the news the night before and they were
all excited to see Abby off.
“Bye
Abby,” said Rosie sleepily.
“Happy
birthday, Rosie,” replied Abby, picking her up for one last good-bye hug. “I’ll be back soon and you can tell me what
presents you and Caleb got.”
“Ok,”
she replied sleepily.
Then
Abby’s parents got ready to take her to the inn. When they finally set out, the sun was
peeking over the mountains. Birds sung
and the air was cool. All too soon, the
Lyon inn was in front of them.
In
front of the inn, a brown horse was tied to a post. On its saddle hung a few more bags, probably
for food, and a long, round, metal tin.
“For the proclamation to go inside so it doesn’t get wet,” explained the
innkeeper. “No reason for you to make
the whole trip and end up with nothing to show for it if it rains.”
Abby
took her map out of her pack and rolled it into the tin. The map could be safe too.
Abby
was excited to set off until she realized that she’d actually have to leave-
for a long time. She hugged her parents
and then hoisted herself onto the horse.
“Her
name is Apple and she’s pretty old. She
won’t win any races, but she’s calm and sure.
Have fun,” the innkeeper said as Abby settled the bags around her.
Her
father said, “Stay on the road. You
should reach your uncle’s farm by tomorrow.
He can give you directions from there.
If you get lost, let Apple lead the way.
She’ll bring you home.”
Her
mother called out, “Be polite to your uncle and everyone you meet. When you get to Cavan, go directly to the
town’s fountain. The proclamation should
be hanging up there and there’s sure to be someone hanging around who can tell
you where to get a copy. Don’t talk to
strangers!”
She
realized what she had said and laughed, “Ok; only talk to nice-looking
strangers, but be polite to everyone.
Come back as soon as you can.”
Abby
guided Apple to the dusty road. She
waved back to her parents. “I’ll be back
soon with the proclamation!”
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