I was at the shore, watching as ships came in. It was amazing! They were so big! I was dressed in my Indian clothes that the chief I'd went to see gave me. I run around and play with all the Indian tribes. I learned a long time ago that they'd made some type of pact that no tribe is to attack me. I think that's weird but I don't care because that means I get to play with all of them!

Today I was going to see England. He'd came over some times before. The first time had been with France, I think his name was. England never talks about him.

I climbed into a tree to see better. The ships had finally stopped moving. Everyone was getting into boats and coming ashore. I watched as England's boat reached the shore first. He smiled at me. He knew I was in the tree? I smiled and jumped down before running off to meet him. The other men became cautious until they saw it was me. I don't understand that but I don't mind. At least England's here.

"Engwand! You came!" I cheered and grabbed onto his arm. He lifted his arm and smiled at me.

"I sure did." He said cheerily. "How have you been?"

"I've been playing with the Indians!" I replied, smiling. His smile turned into a frown.

"Now America, you know I've told you to stop doing that. They could hurt you. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"They won't hurt me! They said so!"

"America, I'm going to tell you one more time. Don't play with the Indians."

"Well it's not like I can play with you. You're almost never here. I have proof they won't hurt me. They give me food, they give me clothes, and they play with me whenever I wanna play."

"That's not clothes, you're practically naked from the waist up. We'll go back to the ship. I've got some new clothes for you."

"Guess what I'm pretending to be!" I said as we reached his ship. He smiled.

"What is that?"

"An Indian chief!" I raised my arm and did like they did to say hello. "Wingapo!" I grabbed a stick before running around the ship. I pretended the stick was one of those hammer thingies the Indians used and did the Indian chant too. England picked me up and carried me into his cabin. "Do you think I'd make a good Indian, Arthur?"

"Why would you want to be one of those? You would do much better pretending to be a king."

"Arthur, what's a king?"

"He's like an Indian chief but he has power over all who live there. Now sit here and play with these nice toys while I go make a bath for you. We need to get that silly paint off your chest."

"But Arthur! The paint symbolizes that I'm a brave warrior!" I complained and picked up the English army soldiers and began playing with them.

"I could give you a gold medal to symbolize you being a brave warrior." I smiled.

"Yeah! I want that!" Gold was still amazing to me. It was like nothing I've ever seen at my home. Only thing I could find anything like it was the corn my friends grew. A few minutes later I was picked up and carried into a different room. He set me on my feet and undressed me before putting me in the bathtub. "Where's my gold metal?"

"Gold medal, not metal. Though gold is a metal. I will give it to you after your bath. You'll be a brave warrior for taking a bath without a fuss." I smiled.

"Okay." I helped him to bathe me and soon I was wrapped in a towel as he carried me to the other room again. He began to dry me off and then kept the towel wrapped around me as he went into another new room. He came back with small clothes and began to dress me. When I was finished being dressed, I pulled on the clothes. "Engwand! I don't like these clothes! Their too stuffy."

"Well it's better this way so that you don't catch a cold."

"Okay… I guess… but I still don't like them. The Indians don't catch colds."

"But they catch other things, don't they?" No amount of arguing would get me out of these clothes. Not with England. But as soon as I get back to the Indians their going to give me different clothes too. It's so confusing.

"Engwand?"

"Remind me to teach you proper English later. What is it America?"

"Why does it seem that the Indians don't get along with you?" He picked me up and carried me back to the boat we'd came on.

"Well Alfred… have you ever seen how the Indians tend to handle their enemies?"

"No." I replied, frowning. "They tell me to go play away from them for a while or something like that. Sometimes I stay with one of the women until their done fighting. I never get to go. I bet I could play too, if they just let me."

"There's a reason they don't want you around during that time. I'm at least happy they know how to keep you out of danger. I'll be staying here for a couple of days. We're going to build another town here." I hugged him.

"As long as you stay for a while." He hugged me back. "Maybe I can show the Indians that you mean no harm." He sighed.

"I think I have a lot of work to do."

"Then skip it and play with me instead!" I replied, grinning.