by Geoff Ayers
Meanwhile, back at the Pilgrim village, Myles Standish was all alone because he had lost his beloved wife, Rose, in the first terrible winter. Myles Standish was a small man but he was strong, and he yelled most of the time. He was hired to defend the Pilgrims, and when danger was near he was always on the job. He wore shiny armor that glistened so bright that you would have to wear sun glasses to see clearly, but of course they hadn't been invented yet.
Myles had one weakness that he couldn't help. He was shy around women. He wanted so badly to marry someone as good as Rose. One day he noticed Priscilla Mullins, an orphan whose whole family had died out in the first winter.
"Wow, she's pretty," Myles thought. "I want to marry her." Sure enough, she was beautiful. She had lovely blond hair that glistened like silver. Her blue eyes were like the calm, gentle ocean. Priscilla was often lonely, and hoped to marry some day.
"I'm so lonely," she thought. "Why did my family have to come to the New World?"
But Priscilla had someone else in mind to marry, and that was John Alden. John Alden was a barrel maker. He was the person who was supposed to make sure that the wine, beer, and water were securely tight in barrels on the way to the New World. John Alden was a friend of Myles Standish. He was not always yelling and shouting at the top of his lungs all day, however. He was a quiet, peaceful person who usually did things that were right. He had brown hair that whipped in the wind on a windy day, like little plants drifting back and forth at the bottom of the ocean. He always went to church on the weekends, and was a hard working person. John liked Priscilla very much, too.
One time Myles Standish got up his courage and went to knock on the door of Priscilla's house. She opened the door and Myles stood there at the door looking superior as a monument.
"Hello, Myles. What have you come here for?" Priscilla asked.
"Well, uh, I, uh ... I came to borrow a cup of salt," he stammered. Then Priscilla gave him the salt, and Myles walked away. He was mad at himself for not asking her to marry him. He did this sort of thing consistently and it always turned out the same way. He would always walk away grumbling.
John Alden and Myles Standish happened to be friends, even though they were completely different. They hung around and talked when they had free time.
"You know, John, that Priscilla is beautiful and gorgeous?" Myles said to John one day.
"Yeah," said John.
"Well, I like her and want to marry her, but I'm too shy around women to tell her that," Myles went on. "So can you tell her that I love her and want to marry her?"
John's jaw fell open with despair, but after awhile he said, "Okay Myles, I'll do it this afternoon." John was about to cry, but he felt that God was telling him that this was the right thing to do.
That afternoon, John Alden was walking to Priscilla's house in the cool, refreshing air. The wind was whipping his hair back and forth like sea plants rocking at the bottom of the ocean. He could see all the animals coming out of their burrows, rejoicing because it was spring again. He got to Priscilla's door and knocked lightly.
Knock! Knock!
"Come in," said a voice deep in
the cottage
John opened the door and shuffled in. He found Priscilla sewing
something for herself.
"Hello, John, how are you?" she
said softly.
"Uh, um .... pretty good, I guess," John stuttered nervously.
"Could you come here so I can wrap some yarn around your hands?" she asked. "I need you to help me with my sewing work."
"Sure," John said. He walked over to an empty chair and she started wrapping.
"What did you come here for, John?"
"Well, you know Myles Standish is a good fellow and he is handsome and strong," John said.
"Yes," Priscilla said, turning solemn.
"He is always going on great expeditions."
"Um, yes ... get to the point."
"Well, his wife Rose died in the first winter, and he loves you and wants to marry you," John finished with a gulp.
Priscilla's face turned a pinkish red.
"Why don't you speak for yourself, John Alden?" she said shyly. When she said that, John suddenly knew that Priscilla liked him, not Myles!