Chapter 10
HAPPY LABOR DAY GRISELDA
The summer was nearing an end, and Josh and Marcia were once again packing their suitcases to go on another family trip. This time they were going to Family Week at Greenwood Camp. Greenwood was a dance camp for people who liked to do English and American folk dancing. Family Week was a time especially for families.
Griselda and Buster were going to Greenwood this year with their friends. Griselda was excited, but a little nervous because she had never danced before. She hoped she would like it.
"Greenwood is not a fancy place," Marcia explained. "We sleep on camp cots and eat in the dining hall. Everyone at camp has a small job to do, like setting the tables or sweeping the floor. The cabins aren't heated and it gets cold at night. But the woods are beautiful and there’s a pond for swimming and boating. "
"I'm sure you'll love it," Josh continued. "They have different dance, song, and craft classes to chose from during the day, and at night everyone goes to the dance. They have teachers to teach most of the classes, but campers can offer classes too. But the best thing about the week is the people. Everybody is very friendly and helpful to beginners."
On Saturday morning Josh and Marcia loaded the car, and the family drove away, with Griselda and Buster following above on the broom. When they arrived at camp, they were greeted by the welcoming committee, who gave them name tags and assigned them cabins and jobs. They reacquainted themselves with old friends, and introduced Griselda and Buster to everyone.
Melanie was bunking with friends in a cabin near the dining hall. The rest of the family and Griselda were given rooms near the dance hall.
"You've got morning breakfast setup," Josh explained to Griselda, looking at her job card. "That means you have to get up early and help in the dining hall."
"Ugh, " remarked Griselda. "I was hoping to sleep late."
But there was no chance for Griselda to oversleep the next morning. Buster, who was growing into a fine little rooster, perched himself at the foot of Griselda’s bed and attempted his first crow. It wasn’t exactly an ear splitting cock-a-doodle-doo. It was more like a chirping tweet -a- tootle-peep. But it did the trick of waking Griselda up.
“Just what I need - an early bird for a room mate”, Griselda grumbled a she got up. She got dressed and walked to the dining hall. It was cool, but the birds were singing and the sun shone through the trees, leaving lacy patches of light in the shade.
At the dining hall, Griselda met Luanne, the dining hall manager, and her fellow table setters Andy, Jesse, and Susan. “They usually give this job to teenagers, like us, Andy explained to Griselda. “That’s the only way they can be sure we won’t sleep straight through breakfast.”
“We like to stay up late to party,” Jesse added. “My body might be here, but my mind’s still in bed.”
Luanne explained that the job of the table setters were to take the benches off the tables and put water jugs, milk and sugar on them, and to put bread, granola, yogurt, jam, and cereal on the head table in front.
The table setters groaned as they began their work. "I don’t like mornings," complained Susan.
"Hurry up," said Louanne. "People will be coming for breakfast soon."
"Maybe I can help speed things up," offerred Griselda. She muttered some magic words and suddenly, the benches all threw themselves onto the floor with a thud. Everyone startled at the sound and stared dumbfoundedly as a procession of milk, bread, and sugar bowls wafted slowly through the air to the tables, and the water jugs lined up by the sink to be filled.
"I hope you don't mind," said Griselda, not sure that magic was allowed at camp.
"Coo-ool!" muttered Jesse. "This is definitely worth getting up early for. I'll do breakfast setup with you any day Griselda."
"Well, that went alot easier than I expected," said Luanne, impressed. "Someone can ring the breakfast bell now."
After breakfast came morning gathering. Here, the campers were led in simple dances and songs and were told stories. Griselda picked things up quickly and enjoyed herself. During the day, she took classes in Sword Dancing, Waltzing, and Bawdy Songs. The dancing was more difficult, and although people were helpful, Griselda found it frustrating and exhausting.
After dinner, Griselda took Arielle to the early evening circle games. Here, they sang songs, and played hand clapping and circle games. Griselda and everyone's favorite game was Fair Rosa. This is a circle dance in which three children play the parts of Fair Rosa, the Wicked Witch, and the Handsome Prince while everyone else circles around them and sings:
Fair Rosa was a lovely child,
She lived up in a castle high.
She played along the river side
A long time ago.
A wicked witch she cast a spell
The hedges they grew all around.
Fair Rosa slept for a hundred years.
A long time ago.
A handsome prince came riding by.
He cut those hedges one by one.
He woke Fair Rosa from her sleep.
A long time ago.
Upon learning the game, Griselda immediately volunteered to be the wicked witch. Everyone agreed she was a natural for the part, but the parents were worried that she might really cast a spell, and that poor Emily, or Leila, or Ruth Ellen, or whoever it was playing Fair Rosa, would really sleep for one hundred years. Griselda assured them that she knew better than that and was given the part every time they played the game.
One evening during circle games, Griselda asked if she could take the part of Fair Rosa. Everyone laughed at the thought of an ugly green witch playing the part of the lovely child. But Marcia spoke up for her and said she could. Griselda took her turn as Fair Rosa, and another time even played the Handsome Prince.
When the early evening program was nearly over it was time for the younger children to go to bed. At home, bedtime was often a time to fuss and complain about how it was too early, and how no one was tired. But not at Greenwood Camp. Evan was already half asleep, curled up on Josh’s shoulder. Arielle, took Marcia’s hand as they began to sing the Round the World Goodnight Song with the rest of the campers.
Good night, Bon Nuit, Ya sa mina sai.,
Buenas Noches, Lala Salama, Wan An.
The parents and children processed out of the Camphouse, while the older kids and other grownups stayed behind singing.
Spokoni Nochi, Guten Nacht.
Leila Tov.
Griselda joined the little procession, although she certainly was old enough to stay behind with Melanie, and the others. The group continued throughout the camp, singing and saying goodnight to each child.
"I think I'll get to bed too," Griselda announced. "I'm bushed."
"You can't do that," Marcia said. "You'll miss the evening dance. "It's the best part of the day."
"I'm afraid I'm not much of a dancer," Griselda said. "I don't think I can keep up with everyone else."
"Don't worry about that," Josh said. "You'll learn, and I'll be your partner for the first dance to help you out."
"Alright, I'll give it a try ," Griselda said.
After they put Arielle and Evan to bed, Josh and Marcia took Griselda to the dance. When they got there, Josh took Griselda by the hand and led her into a square. "They start out with easier ones," he reassured her. "You see, they want the kids who haven't gone to bed yet to be able to join in too."
The band began to play and the caller began to tell the dancers what to do:
Doh Si Doh your partner.
Allemand left your corner.
Promenade around the square.
And everybody swing!
Griselda followed the calls the best she could. With Josh's gentle guidance she was able to keep up with everyone else most of the time. But at times she got so confused she felt like she was being jerked along. But she saw she wasn't the only one who sometimes made mistakes and she was able to laugh at herself whenever she did.
"Not bad," Josh said when the dance was over. "You're beginning to get the hang of it."
"Dance the next one with me?" Melanie said running over to Griselda.
The next dance was a mixer, which means that everyone was always changing partners during the dance. Griselda danced with almost every man in the hall and several of the women and older kids.
Next came an English Country Dance. "I'll dance the man’s part," Marcia said, offerring to dance with her. Griselda was getting tired and didn't think she would enjoy this much longer. But the music, as sweet and smooth as honey, kept her light on her feet. "I don't think it's possible to hear this and stay seated," she thought to herself as she followed Marcia's graceful turns.
Griselda was having fun but she was she was relieved when it was time for a break and she could sit down. She knew that after the break the dances would be harder, so she thought she would just watch. But when a man, who introduced himself as "Mac", asked her to dance, she couldn't refuse.
It was a New England contra dance. "That's just like a square dance except you do it standing in a line facing your partner," Mac explained. The dancers stayed with their own partners, but they moved up and down the lines, each time dancing with a different couple. The music began not too fast, so that people could learn the dance.
Circle to the left with the couple below.
Come on back and star to the right.
Ladies chain and chain on back.
Balance and swing!
Unlike the other dances, this dance didn't have any time to rest in it. Griselda had to concentrate as hard as she could in order not to make any mistakes. Then the music started getting faster and the caller stopped calling. "I can't believe this," Griselda thought to herself. "He seems to think we're going to remember how this goes."
"Circle to the left, star to the right" she repeated to herself. She watched the other dancers carefully to make sure she was doing it right. "Ladies chain and chain on back," she thought. She was getting it. "Balance and swing," Mac called to her. And he grabbed her and swung her around.
Griselda held on to Mac, leaning back into his hand, the way Josh had taught her earlier. The two of them spun around until Griselda felt like she was flying. Then it was time for circle to the 'left with the couple below' again. Each figure flowed so smoothly into the next that it was easy to remember what she was supposed to do. The music picked up speed again. Everyone on the floor was moving so well together that it nearly took Griselda's breath away. Griselda and Mac danced up and down the line together. When the music finally stopped she heaved a sight of disappointment.
"That was so much fun," she said. "I could have gone up and down another time."
That night in her cabin, Griselda slept more soundly than she ever had before.
On the second day of camp Griselda danced in the morning, but by the afternoon, feet and legs were too tired. “I’m going to need to rest if I want to make it to the evening dance,” she said. “I can watch Arielle while you put Evan down for his nap,” she oferred to Marcia.
Griselda took the children to the Camphouse porch, where there were a few other young kids who were not busy with another activity.
“Look! They put out the stuff to make the wish boats,” Arielle said pointing to some wood, nails, glue, paint, bottle caps, and other materials on a table.
“What are wishboats?” Griselda asked.
“We make little boats,” Arielle said. “We put candles in them and sail them on the pond when it gets dark. We make wishes on them, like a birthday cake.”
A boy named Jeremy was trying to hammer two pieces of wood together but he wasn’t big enough to do it right.
“Let me help you,” Griselda said. She guided his hand so the nail went in.
“I want to make mine too,” Arielle said.
“Alright,” said Griselda. “Let’s get some wood.”
Before she knew it, Jeremy’s friend Christopher, and his little sister Nell were making boats with Griselda and Arielle too. Griselda helped, making sure that each of the boats was well constructed and sea-worthy. She helped the children build little railings along the side of the boats. She showed them how to mount the candles on platforms so that the flame would be away from the rest of the boat. When nobody needed her help, she worked on a boat for herself and Evan.
"I wish I could really sail on my boat," Arielle said as she hammered in a nail.
"Me too," agreed Christopher, who was painting the acorn trim on his boat.
"Do you really?" asked Griselda. "How about the rest of you?" Everybody agreed they wished the same thing.
"Well, then, remember to wish it when you put your boats in the water," Griselda advised.
It takes a long time to make a proper wish boat. Griselda and the children worked on theirs every afternoon that week. On the last night of the week, after the evening program, it was time to sail the wish boats. The campers proceded from the camphouse down the steps to the lake singing “I am sailing,” and “This Little Light of Mine.”
It soon became very crowded along the dock and the waterfront. Most people without a boat or a small child to watch hung back on the steps or camphouse porch. "I'll take care of the little ones," Griselda told the parents of the children she had been building with. "You can watch from the porch if you like."
Arielle, Evan, Jeremy, Christopher, and Nell followed Griselda to the lake, holding tightly onto their boats. Griselda lit the candles, including the one for her own and Evan's boat, and helped the children put the boats in the water. "Now everybody make a wish," she said.
At the same time, the older children and teenagers were putting their boats in the water too.
It was a dark night, and the only light around came from the little candles. Everyone was so entranced as they watched the boats drift out onto the lake, that nobody seemed to notice that the children in Griselda's group began to shrink to about three inches in height. And nobody noticed as each miniature child boarded his or her own wish boat and floated out onto the lake with it.
Although Griselda hadn't explained beforehand to the children what was going to happen, none of them were the least bit surprised or afraid. They had all wished that they could sail on the boats, and having their wish come true was exactly what each of them expected.
The children were excited but nobody jumped up and down or shouted. Except for a few oohs and aahs when they first set sail, everyone was quiet. Jeremy and Nell, held on to the ships wheels they had built and pretended to steer. Christopher and Arielle, just continued to sing softly along with the group on the beach. Evan sat in Griselda's lap sucking his thumb in the boat she had made for the two of them.
As the candles began to burn lower, some of the people on the shore did notice that some of the boats were no longer drifting. Instead, a group of five boatsn a line, following a slightly bigger one in the lead. What was actually happening was that Griselda was leading the little children's boats back towards the land. The little boats circled and weaved, and arrived back at shore, just as some of the parents were beginning to wonder where in the crowd their children were.
As the boats hit the shore, the children grew to their own size again. They all picked up their boats and ran back to their parents. All that is, except for Evan who had fallen asleep on his boat. Griselda carried him up the stairs to his parents waiting arms.
"You didn't sail your boat," Josh commented when he saw that Arielle was still holding hers. "You have to let the boat sail or you won't get your wish."
"Yes, I did sail it, Daddy," she insisted. "And I got my wish, too." But since he didn't ask any more about it, Arielle didn't explain.
That night, as the youngest children lay in their cots in their cabins, they could hear the rollicking sounds of the dance music in the distance, just like they did every night at Greenwood. But the music that really filled their heads as they drifted off to sleep was the gentle lapping of the lake and the sweet, soft singing of the campers that they had heard in their boats.
Everyone woke up on Saturday morning with a feeling of sadness, for it was the end of Camper's Week and time for to go home. Everyone, that is, except for the few who had planned to stay for the Labor Day Weekend session.
"Only fifty-one more weeks and we can all be back here again," Marcia said with a sigh, trying to cheer herself up.
"I'm not going to have to wait that long," Griselda said. "I've decided to stay for Labor Day Weekend. They're going to let me work in the kitchen to pay for my tuition."
"You'll thrill them with your cooking," Josh complimented her.
When Griselda came back from Greenwood, she announced that she had been offerred a job as a cook for the next summer at camp. "It will be my first job", she said proudly.
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Over the fall, Griselda took to dancing in much the same way she had taken to cooking, nearly a year earlier. After a short period of trial and error, she became quite good at it and loved it. When she learned about the contra dances held in Cambridge, she decided to go every week. She soon became one of the best dancers there and made many new friends.
When Halloween came again, she went to a costume ball, dressed as a clown. She drank cider and ate cookies, but she didn't eat any candy.
For Thanksgiving, she made a fancy dinner like she had the year before, but this time she invited her old friends Marcia, Josh and their kids, and some of her new friends too. This time she didn't eat so much, and she had room for dessert. She was pleasantly stuffed when she finished her second small piece of pie, but she didn't overdo it.
