Thanksgiving Story for Kids and All - Ted Turkey

Jim Brown, who called himself "Brownie," kept busy these retirement days by raising a few turkeys, a black goat named Gertie and Jack, his pet donkey.

Tillie Turkey hid a nest of eggs from Brownie so that she could hatch them herself. Tillie kept busy setting on her eggs to keep them warm, turning them as needed and watching over them. On Friday, Tillie was upset because one little egg was late to hatch. She rolled it around with her foot. And then she turned her eye to take a good look at that egg. She shook her head and sat down once again to cover it and keep it warm. She even discussed the egg with Gertie and Jack. " Just be patient," they said.

Tillie woke up early the next morning and the first thing on her list was to check out that last egg. The mother turkey was pleased to see the egg was cracking open. She breathed a long sign of relief. "Soon all my babies will be hatched," she said to herself. After a restless night, Tillie was starving hungry and she gobbled loudly when Brownie came past the turkey shed with a bucket of feed and some fresh water.

After breakfast, Tillie hurried back to her nest. As she got closer she stopped dead in her tracks! A baby was walking around, but it certainly didn't look like its brothers and sisters. Frowning, she sat down and cuddled her new baby. She named the little guy Ted Turkey. Soon Ted's feathers were very fluffy, but they were not the same dull gray-brown of the others. Besides that, Ted walked funny. He sort of waddled from side to side, and needless to say, this concerned his mother. Tillie also noticed that Ted's toes were hooked together.

Can you imagine her shock when she gobbled a "good morning" to Ted Turkey and he answered her back with a quack? Tillie Turkey tried again and again, but to her amazement no gobble came out of his mouth.

Ted grew up with the other turkeys. Even though they whispered among themselves that they thought he was a different kind of turkey, they all loved their brother Ted. Brownie was sort of befuddled by the situation also. He simply could not understand how or why Ted came from the turkey flock.

The days were beginning to be shorter and a chill came in the air. It was just one month until Thanksgiving. Ted watched as a woman with short, dark hair drove down the gravel road and turned into Brownie's driveway. She was driving a noisy big, old red car. "Hi Brownie," she hollered towards the barn. "Cody at the hardware store said maybe you would sell me a fresh turkey for Thanksgiving. We're having a house full this year."

Ted had poked his neck around the corner and heard the whole conversation. "Quack quack quack," Ted was excited and he was waddling as quickly as he could towards his mother. Tillie was resting behind the old oak tree. "Whatever is wrong, Ted," she gobbled.

Ted did not know what was wrong, but he felt in his heart and he knew from the look on that woman's face that there were problems ahead. With a tear in her eye, Tillie quickly explained the Thanksgiving custom of a grand turkey dinner.

"I do believe you are safe, Ted," she gobbled, but I am afraid for your brothers and sisters." Ted lifted up his head and quacked, "How can I help?"

"Hmmm," Ted thought to himself. "I heard Brownie asking God for help last week. Mom, maybe if we all talk with God, he'll help us too. I know he's helped us to learn about each other and to know and love one another. He guides us to learn new things. Remember when I found out I could swim?"

"I don't know," quivered Tillie, "but I do know that Brownie gives thanks and he does talk to God every day. I don't really know that much about God or how it all works, but we've all heard Brownie say how grateful he is every day that God is with him."

So, Ted led the Turkey family as they gathered in the woods and bowed their heads in prayer.

In the meantime, the woman's cell phone rang. "Mom," it's me,Annie. Dylan just asked me to marry him before he is deployed!" I know you haven't been feeling so well and that Uncle Ben lost his job. But Mom, I just checked online and I think if you hurry you can get plane tickets for everyone - very cheap!"

"Bring Maddies' white dress and we'll fix up a big bowl of mac and cheese. Dylan and I can pick some fruit and the little girl I tutor said she and her mom would love to bake us a cake. Really Mom, that's all I need. It won't cost more than a big Thanksgiving dinner and the trimmings. You could just have fun with all of us and you say that just having the family together is the best. Please Mom?"

"Yes, yes, Annie - and Dad and I send you our blessings right now. I'll call everyone, but first I'll go home and hopefully get the tickets."

The woman was running toward her car as she finished talking. "Sorry Brownie," she hollered. "I don't need the turkey this year." Brownie waved his hand good bye and said, "Congratulations," as he'd overheard the whole conversation.

The wheels spun down the road and the Turkey family came running and waddling out of the woods. With a smile on his face, Brownie was carrying some nails, a hammer and a big piece of wood. He stopped by the shed and came out with a paint brush. He held up the sign when he was finished and yelled out, "NO TURKEYS FOR SALE." He posted it right on the front gate post.

Tillie Turkey called Ted to come and sit down beside her.

"Ted, for some reason I must tell you that you are really a duck - not a turkey. I'll never know how your egg got in my nest. I want you to know that I've learned so much from you, Ted. Then today, your leadership helped us grow in our faith and trust in God. We have so very much to be thankful for and I'm so glad our little family will continue to be together for Thanksgiving and for a long time to come."

She put her wings around the very colorful duck. "You will always be a special part of the Tillie Turkey family. Happy Thanksgiving - and I love you my little Ted, with all my heart."

Ted looked up and noticed a huge "V" shape in the sky.