Escape From
Shady Grove Farm
by Winona Rasheed
Thomas, the turkey strutted around the turkey pen, gobbling and spreading his feathers with pride. His colorful feathers looked pretty as he pranced around showing off his many colors. He was big, fat and handsome, and so very greedy. He was the king of the turkey pen on Farmer John's farm in Shady Grove.
The day after Halloween, Farmer John, dressed in his favorite grey, bibbed overalls, came to the turkey coop as ususal. He began to toss dried kernals of corn into the fenced in area. All the turkeys scattered here and there to nibble on the food that landed on the ground.
Farmer John's eyes followed the gobblers around, a big smile crept upon his bearded face as he watched Thomas.
"He is perfect," Farmer John exclaimed. " A few more pounds and that turkey will be the right size for our Thanksgiving dinner. He will be big enough to feed our family and all of our turkey loving neighbors," he said.
Farmer John hurried back into the house to inform his wife, unaware that Olympia Turkey heard everything he said.
"Invite our family and all of our neighbors for a big old fashion Thanksgiving dinner," he said. "We are going to have a feast because I'm gonna have the biggest turkey in Shady Grove."
Olympia darted off as fast as she could go, over to where Thomas was enjoying his breakfast.
"You have to stop eating so much, King Thomas!" She gobbled, "or, you are going to find yourself in big trouble."
"What are you talking about?" Thomas asked.
"I over heard Farmer John talking about what he is planning to do to you. Didn't you noticed the way he was looking at you?"
"He was just admiring my beautiful feathers," said Thomas as he continued to eat.
"He was not! He was admiring your size, he wants you bigger for his Thanksgiving dinner," said Olympia. "You are going to be his main dish."
"horse feathers!" said Thomas.
"It's true," replied Olympia, "I heard every word he said, and it didn't sound very good."
"Well, what do I do?" said Thomas with a mouth full of corn.
"You must go on a diet!"
Thomas began to chuckle. "A diet?"
"Yes, a diet. You are much too big."
"But, that is why I am the King, because I am nice and plump, and my feathers are bright and colorful."
"But, if you keep this eating habit up, your're going to be just a plump, featherless turkey on Farmer John's table, that's not fitting for a king."
Thomas thought for a moment. "We can't let this happen." he finally agreed.
Olympia smiled. "We will have a meeting tonight with all of the turkeys. Me must help our king," she said as she strutted away to make the announcement.
Thomas walked around the Turkey coop with his head hung down low. He listend to Olympia and the others.
"You must not look good to the farmer," said Olympia, "or, you are going to end up on his table. The only thing to do is stop eating. Just for a little while."
"But, if I stop eating, I won't be nice and plump, and my pride feathers will become dull. I won't be handsome anymore. I can't have that! After all, I am the King in this coop."
"That is why we are going to help you." replied Olympia.
The next morning Farmer John showed up at the turkey coop as usual, throwing food to the hungry birds. He waited and watched for Thomas to begin nibbling.
"Why isn't this turkey eating?" he asked himself. "Come on, eat up, you silly bird!" he said.
Thomas took one seed into his mouth, savoring the corn flavor slowly. He strutted around without any pep in his step. After he had eaten four seeds of corn, that's when the other turkeys stepped in to help him with his diet.
Farmer John watched in disbelief as he watched the other turkeys gobble up all the seeds he had thrown on the ground. They were gobbling all the food from poor Thomas.
Everytime the farmer would throw a handful of food on the ground, all the turkeys would beat Thomas to the feast. They would push and shove, almost knocking Thomas off his narrow, little legs.
Farmer John took off his old, worn out cap and scratched the top of his bald head as he continued to watch the scene.
"Silly, over grown turkey!" said the farmer.
When the farmer left to go tell his wife of the weird behavior that he just witnessed, Thomas spread his feathers in anger.
"I've had about enough of this pushing and shoving!" He said to the other turkeys. "You don't have to knock me over!"
"Sorry King Thomas," everyone said.
"We just didn't want you to over eat. Remember your four kernal corn diet?" said Olympia.
"I remember! said Thomas with annoyance in his gobbled voice. " I'm going to be looking like a string bean when this diet is over."
"That's the whole point," said Olympia with a happy smile on her face. "Anything for our King."
Thomas ruffled his feathers and strutted away, hoping to find a kernal of corn still laying on the ground; out of sight from the rest of his turkey friends.
A few days later, when Farmer John returned for the feedings, Thomas was feeling very, very hungry. All the turkeys gathered around in excitement as the kernals began to drop on the ground.
Thomas began to eat the portion that was allowed for his diet.
"Four measly kernals," he complained in silence, but realizing it was for his own good.
"Why, I believe that silly old turkey is loosing weight!" snapped the farmer, " he doesn't look as big as he did a few days ago."
Just then, the turkeys went on a gobbling scurry, and scattered everywhere eating all the corn again from Thomas.
"You stop that!" yelled the farmer as he rushed inside the pen to stop the eating frenzy. But by then the corn was gone. The turkeys were satisfied and pleased with themselves. But Farmer John was angry, very angry.
"I'll put an end to this, you will not eat all the food from my Thanksgiving bird again!" he yelled as he stormed out of the coop.
Moments later the turkeys looked up in wonderment as they watched the old farmer begin to hammer away on his next project.
Bang, bang, bang went the hammer as Farmer John pounded long silver nails into some wood.
"What's he doing?" Whispered Olympia.
"I don't know what he is doing," said Thomas.
"I know what he is doing," said a small, smart turkey, who was half the size of Thomas. "He is building a cage!"
"A cage for what?" Asked Thomas, " we already have a nice cozy coop."
The turkeys waited as the hammer pounded onto the wood. Farmer John worked frantically for hours. When the huge cage was finished, Farmer John stood back and admired his handy work. The wooden structure was tall, and had wire netting on all four sides. The cage even had a door that opened and shut.
"What's he going to do with it?" Olympia whispered.
No sooner then she got the whispered words out of her mouth, Farmer John entered the turkey coop; causing the startled birds to scatter. They were flapping and spreading thier wings; running around the coop in a frenzy, including Thomas, who was being chased by Farmer John.
"Come here,you crazy bird!" he yelled.
Thomas darted in and out, running in circles, trying to stay away from Farmer John's grasp.
The other turkeys were making so much noise, feathers were flying.
Farmer John made a flying leap at Thomas. He landed flat on the ground, but had the turkey right where he wanted him. He scooped Thomas up in a dash, and ran for the newly built cage, and then tossed Thomas over the side of the wire fencing.
Thomas landed on his feet, but he was startled and dazed. The farmer began to throw a whole bag of corn kernals into the cage.
"Now, eat up!" Farmer John demanded.
With all the excitement, Thomas was starving and he began to eat and eat and eat. He was gobbling up the food as if there were no tomorrow.
When night came and the farm was quiet, all of Thomas's friends managed to escape thier coop. One by one, they flew over the top of the cage and headed for Thomas's new home. When they found him they were upset.
"Just look at you, King Thomas!" said Olympia as she stared at Thomas lying on the ground, too big to get up. His stomach looking as fat and round as a watermelon. "You have eaten too much!"
"I don't want to see another kernal of corn as long as I live," said Thomas.
"Well, we have to get you out of here, if not, in two days you won't have to worry about eating anything. Farmer John will be eating you." said Olympia.
All the turkeys strutted over to the door of the large cage. One by one, they climbed upon each others back. Olympia was on the top and she unlatched the door.
"We must run away," said Olympia.
"I don't think I can run anywhere," said Thomas. "I am way too fat to be running."
"You have to!" replied Olympia, "or you will be on Farmer John's table."
"Lets go! said King Thomas."We will follow you."
Olympia smiled a wide turkey grin. "But first, we have to do somethiing."
"What's that?" asked Thomas.
"You'll see, " said Olympia as she began to tell them of her plan, " You don't have to do anything King Thomas. We will do all the work, save your energy for our long walk."
It wasn't long before all the turkeys were inside The new cage, with them they had one of the large brown bags that was now empty of corn. They stuffed it with hay and oats from the horse barn. It was big and fat just like Thomas.
One by one, they began to pluck feathers from each others back, including Thomas.
"Hey, that looks just like me!" said Thomas.
"You are exacly right," said Olympia as she put a fake head onto the body of the bag. " A fine fake turkey, indeed!"
Farmer John is really going to be surprised in the morning," said King Thomas. "Thanks to my feathered friends," he said. " for coming to my rescue."
"Anything for our King," said Olympia as they strutted our of Shady Grove.
"I sure wish I could see Farmer John's face in the morning," said Thomas.
"You want to stick around and see it?" asked Olympia.
"No way!" replied Thomas, "No way."
Interactive:
Can you draw a picture of Farmer John when he sees his surprise turkey?
Can you draw the surprise turkey?
Have fun, and I hope you enjoyed reading this story.