After writing a paper on Andrew Jackson for history, Krypto was assigned a short story on the same time period.
Below, you can enjoy his 1 page history paper and then following that, his short story that takes place during the War of 1812. I can hardly believe we started this semester with his barely writing a paragraph without help. If you remember my posts about starting and planning for this school year back in August, you might remember that my focus for Krypto this year was writing. I am so thrilled with his progress, with his now "love" of writing. He writes everyday for school and he also writes in a journal by choice during quiet time. So thankful for answered prayers and for the amazing "Writing Aids" curriculum that we use from Tapestry of Grace. It has made the writing assignments so much easier because they tie into our history and literature studies.
Happy Reading! -------
Born March 15, 1767
Andrew Jackson was completely orphaned at age 14, his father died before he was
born. Nobody knows where he was born but he claimed he was born in South
Carolina. The most influential man of his time, he was the last president to
have served in the Revolutionary War, he served in the War of 1812, and was also
a two term president.
Andrew Jackson’s life
during the Revolutionary War was very fascinating. When he was only 9 years old
he read the Declaration of Independence to the entire town because he was the
only person who could read. Then, he joined the South Carolina Militia at age
13. He was captured by the British and was the only president ever a prisoner
of war. During the war Andrew Jackson was scarred for life by a British officer
during an argument. He had refused to
clean the man’s shoes.
During the War of
1812 Andrew Jackson marched all the way to New Orleans with his solders and
fought a big battle with Tecumseh in Ohio. He was popular with the people
because he won many battles. The troops
respected him because he was tough and once he had his mind made up, he didn’t
give in. This made him a powerful
general and they gave him the nick name “Old Hickory” because he was so tough.
The life of Andrew
Jackson during his presidency was amazing. He was the first (but not the last)
‘’log cabin‘’ president. A very strong president, he was loved by the people
because he was one of them and hated by the critics because he used so much
power as the President. This earned him
the name “King Andrew” when he took action without other leaders’ consent. Another example of his strength as the
President was when he forced the Indians to move west of the Mississippi against
the Supreme Court’s decision. This was
later called the “Trail of Tears.”
Andrew Jackson was
a fascinating man. He was the last president to serve in the Revolutionary War.
He was made famous by fighting in the War of 1812 and was the last two term
president until Abraham Lincoln.
The
Rose and Cannon
“Don’t go David.
Please!” Laura’s big, brown eyes pleaded with him.
“You know I have to go, Andrew Jackson needs every soldier
he can get. And I know that you will
miss me, but I will miss you too. It’s
the only way,” his blue eyes pleading back.
“Okay, okay, but hurry back.
Will you?”
“Thanks! I knew you’d
agree once you saw it my way. Goodbye,”
with his golden hair flashing in the sun, he was gone.
“Goodbye.” Laura muttered, and her delicate frame sitting in
a chair, she began to weep.
-----
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, in a little but
crowded tavern called the “Skull and Sword,” a man sat talking with two of his
goons.
“So, Valdalyk, what’s your plan now?” asked Rooney.
“I’ve chosen a lady named Laura. She’s rich, friendly, and an easy target.”
“How are we gonna get it?” questioned Ben, the other goon.
“How….do you think?” Valdalyk said as his scheming eyes were
probing them. “Come, we have work to
do,” and his leering frame standing up, he and his two goons left to get
Laura’s millions.
-----
Ding dong.
“I’ll get it,” said Laura.
She went over and opened the door, “Hello, who is it?”
“It is I, Casius Valdalyk and my two lawyers. We’ve come to talk to you.”
“Yes, what is it,” inquired Laura.
“I am your third cousin, thrice removed, on your father’s
side.” Casius stated.
“Indeed!” Laura said,
“What about it?”
“I demand some of your fortune.”
“How can you prove I owe you some money?” Laura asked.
“Look at this signed document, it has the family seal. Give me the money in three days.” said Casius.
So Laura sat pondering how to stop him.
“Madam, may I point out something?” said her maid.
“Yes, what is it?” asked Laura.
“The May family coat of arms is a falcon in flight with a
spear in his mouth. How come this falcon
has two cobras in his talons, also,” the maid said.
“You’re right!” exclaimed Laura.
So when Valdalyk came in three days for the money, he left
discouraged and without the money.
-----
Meanwhile David was marching to Tecumseh’s headquarters with
William Henry Harrison.
“We’re almost there! I can see the smoke,” said William
Henry Harrison, “Attack!”
Bang! Bang!
The shots made it difficult to see. Soon the smoke made it impossible to tell
friends from foe.
Boom, Twang! The sounds of gunfire and arrows filled the
air. Bang! Twang! Boom!
A voice in the mist said “Keep fighting boys. They’re starting to retreat.”
But the Indians were only falling back to get their
reinforcements.
Tenskwatawa, the brother of Tecumseh, yelled “The Great Spirit
give us power. We are invincible. No surrender!”
In the mist, David saw black shadows. “They must be Indians!” he thought, so he
shot at them. Then he saw, in the smoke,
a shadow with a big wand in his hand.
“That must be Tecumseh’s brother!
I’ll shoot him.” As soon as he
did, the Indians retreated in panic, the village was destroyed, and the battle
was won.
-----
Meanwhile Laura was going to a picnic to cheer herself
up. While there she was treated most
courteously by Valdalyk, who had also gone to the picnic.
A hundred times, “Excuse me, madam….Here is your plate,
madam….Let me help you with your chair, madam,” rang through the air.
-----
After the picnic, Valdalyk went back to the “Skull and
Sword” to talk to his goons.
“So, how did it go?” asked Rooney.
“Perfectly, she really thinks with all my courtesy, that I
really love her.”
“When are you going to marry her,” Ben asked.
“Tomorrow…and then the May family fortune will be MINE!”
Valdalyk shouted in triumph.
-----
Ding dong.
“I’ll get it.”
At the door was Valdalyk, in a black suit with a gold ring
on his finger and a red ruby in it. The
ruby was carved into the shape of the Valdalyk coat of arms.
“What is it this time Valdalyk?” asked Laura.
“Will you marry me?” Casius asked a confused Laura. He pulled out of his pocket a ring exactly
like the one on his finger, only with a blue sapphire instead of a red ruby.
“Give me five days to think about it. Then I’ll tell you my answer.” Laura replied.
“Okay, then, good day madam.”
When she closed the door, Laura sat deciding whether or not
to marry Valdalyk.
“I love David,” she thought out loud, “but Valdalyk seems so
earnest to impress me.” She sat and
thought, and thought…and thought.
Finally, she wrote a letter to Valdalyk.
Dear Valdalyk,
Thank you for your
invitation. But, I love David, not
you. Therefore, I decline your proposal.
Sincerely,
Laura May
-----
At the same time, David was now marching in the citizen
militia that was defending Baltimore.
“The British are attacking!” came the yells.
BOOOOOOMMMMM!
The battle had begun.
The British ships were attacking the American fort.
Boom! Boom! BOOOOOMMMM!
“To Arms! To Arms” came the cries.
Soon, everyone was fighting or hiding. David was working with the artillery at the fort. He fired and fired, but the British were too
far away to do any real damage to them.
“Sir, there is one boat that got close enough for us to hit
them,” said one of the soldiers.
“Fire!!!” yelled the leader of the fort.
Booommmm!
The shot hit the ammunition room and the whole boat was
destroyed.
During the night several boats were destroyed, but there was
no clear winner.
“At last, it’s almost dawn.
Are we going to raise the American flag?” asked David.
“You betcha,” said their leader, Lt. Col Armistead.
As soon as the British troops saw the flag, they turned tail
and ran. The battle at Ft. McHenry was
over.
-----
At the “Skull and Sword”…
“Valdalyk, are you going to try one last time?” asked Ben.
“Yes, and this time, I’m going to kill her!” Valdalyk said.
“What?!” said Rooney
“Yes, I’m going to kill her.
I’ll set a suicide note on her desk saying that I get her fortune as her
next of kin. Then I will step in, and
get it! Bwahahaha!” he laughed.
-----
Later that night, Valdalyk broke into Laura’s house with his
goons. He found Laura asleep at her
desk. She had been working on some
papers for a new boat for her shipping company and had fallen asleep while
working.
What Valdalyk didn’t know was that David had gotten homesick
and had resigned his place in the militia and was coming back that night. Valdalyk put the suicide note on the desk and
raised the knife over Laura’s head.
Closer…closer….
At that moment, David returned to Laura’s house and noticed
there were no lights in the windows. He
went into the unlocked house, lit a candle, and crept closer to the door….
-----
Crash!
David smashed into Laura’s study, and his candle shed light
in the room. Laura woke up.
“Argh!” shrieked Valdalyk, “You’re always getting in my way,
David. Take this!” With that, Valdalyk took out two knives, while
David pulled out his sword.
Tang! Tang! Slash!
Went the blades. The sword and
knives went everywhere.
“Ben…Rooney…get her now!” commanded Valdalyk.
When David heard this, he went over to them and fought them
to the ground. In his anger, he left the
stunned goons on the floor and pinned Valdalyk down too.
“You win,” said Valdalyk, “but, he who fights and runs away,
will live to fight another day.”
Thus saying, he broke free from David, ran out of the
window, and fled, never to return again.
-----
A few days later, David and Laura were married in a white
chapel among a garden of roses.
“David, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded
wife?” asked the minister.
“I do!” David said.
“And Laura, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded
husband?” asked the minister of Laura now.
“I do!” she said.
“Then, I pronounce this couple husband and wife.”
David and Laura kissed each other deeply and they all
(except for Valdalyk, who was utterly defeated…and Ben and Rooney, who wound up
in jail) lived happily ever after.
--The End--
November/December 2012
4th Grade
***Krypto has talked about writing a prequel over Christmas Break to give the readers more background on the characters :).
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