Song: Acres of Clams
By: Judge Francis D. Henry
Deciding that asking Jack questions right now would get her nowhere Mrs. Bennett instead asked: "Is there anyone else who wants a turn?" She looked at the group of kids; hands were waving in the air. "Eenie meenie miney mo." She said pointing out one child and another after each word. "Catch a tiger by the toe. If he growls, let him go. Eenie meenie miney…. Okay Timmy which do you want?"
"Yes!" Timmy cheered. He leapt up and ran to one of the adult men sitting on the couch. "Uncle Tom, if you tell the story, I'll sing the mining for clam song!"
"Oh, that old one. I don't know." Uncle Tom faked a pondering look.
"Please!"
"All right."
"Yay!"
Uncle Tom got comfortable and took a sip of his drink. "Well, you all know that this town grew because of the trading route the river provided for the miners. Well one of those miners was our great, great, etc. uncle. He tried his luck with the gold,"
Right on cue Timmy began to sing.
(Start song here)
"But it didn't work. He watched as more and more people arrived to try their luck. The crowded conditions and the less than promising find he'd been able to mine, one speck of gold that is all, caused him to the side it was best to move on. The only problem was where to move on to. While resting up in a nearby town from the mine he heard talk about a new dish that was becoming popular. Some kind of shellfish was being ordered a lot recently and when he found out they were called clams he wanted try one, but when he looked at the price his mind boggled. How could something so small be so expensive? A little more research showed that they were a delicacy that came from Pruget Sound, the equivalent of seashore gold. He also found out that you were a lot more likely to catch clams then you were to dig up anything in the nearby mountains. He caught a boat to the shoreline and began mining for clams strait away. He made such a good hall the others followed him." Uncle Tom said.
Before long are uncle brought his fortune of clams and money to progress and started his own little restaurant. Soon progress wasn't just shipping supplies for minors, there were crates full of clams on their way to market."
There were a few chuckles and maybe some laughter but mostly the song though silly spoke of a great achievement in the family and everyone enjoyed it thoroughly.
With one final gulp Uncle Tom finished his glass. Then he looks down and smiled at his and Timmy's audience. "Now, what do we have left eat?"
Everyone looked at each other, grinned, and sang: "Surrounded by acres of claims!"
Jack was having such a great time and he felt so at home with the Bennett's, he totally forgot his discomfort about the mystery that had presented itself.