Cultural
Background
Storyteller's Cabin
As they walked along the winding dusty road toward the swimming hole, they picked scuppernongs, admired all the beautiful wildflowers, and talked about how much fun they were going to have at the church picnic on Sunday. The 20-minute walk seemed to take no time at all; and before they know it they were there..... THE SWIMMING HOLE!!!!! They dropped their towels and pails and jumped straight into the water, what they had been waiting for all day. WHEW!!! They were finally cool.
The girls splashed around and played in the water for hours. They played so much that they were exhausted. So they got out of the water, ate a few scuppernongs, talked a bit, and before they know it, they had both drifted off to sleep.
Jean was the first to awaken. Once she realized where she was, she looked around and saw the sun was setting and the warm summer day was giving way to the coolness of evening. She quickly awakened her sister, they grabbed their towels and pails and started back down the ever-darkening, winding dirt road.
They had walked about five minutes when Nellie remembered what Ma 'Tilda had said, "Don't let darkness catch you on that dirt road. Make sure you're home before nightfall." There was no way they would make it back before nightfall if they kept on the dirt road. Nellie had an idea, "Jean, let's cut through these woods. That way we'll be sure to get home way before dark, so we won't have to listen to one of Ma' Tilda's silly old lectures."
Like I told you, Jean was the more practical of the two, "We can't go through those woods, we might get lost. Besides those are the Gongetcha Woods that Ma'Tilda warned us not to go into."
"Don't be silly," Nellie protested. "Ma'Tilda just made that up to scare us. Ain't no such thing as the Gongetcha Woods. Come on girl!"
Well, with nothing more than getting home before dark on their minds, they started through the woods.
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