Wonjune+5C-Winnie's+Journal

Dear Journal,

Today was a very exciting day. It all started when I went into the woods. I was extremely bored of being cooped up in our neat little cottage that was supposed to be perfect. Anyway, I ran away into the woods and found something that I never expected to find there. It was Jesse Tuck, drinking water from a spring-in our woods! I let him do what he was doing, but when I asked for a drink of water, he, Mae and Miles kidnapped me! We were on our way to the Tucks' house when I saw the man in the yellow suit. I could have called out to him, but I too scared to do so. We finally came to a small stream and that's where the Tucks told me their story. It turned out that the spring was a magical spring that grants immortality. If I had drank some of it today, I would have stayed a little girl forever! The Tucks were already victims of the spring. They said that they hadn't changed for 87 years! Then Jesse was, lets see, 17 plus 87 equals...104! Oh my gosh! Jesse was 104 years old! When we got to the Tucks' house, I saw that there was a small lake(pond) next to their house. As soon as we got there, Jesse and Miles jumped in and I was introduced to a man called Angus Tuck. I think Mr. Tuck is a nice man. He seemed pretty happy to see me. Actually, he was so excited about meeting me that he was practically asking for me! The Tucks' house was very different from our house. Back at home, Granny and Mother always scrubbed everything squeaky clean. Not so with this house. It was very disorganized and things were strewn all over the place. But it was-comfortable. Not being supposed to make every single thing made me very happy for some reason. So far, I like the Tucks. They are very kind and and are very nice to me. But I wonder how they really feel about me?

-Winnie-

Dear Journal,

Supper was okay. The menu was flapjacks, bacon, bread, and applesauce. At first, I watched to see if there were rules that I didn't know about. But it seemed like there were no rules! This was very surprising for me because I had grown up with order all the time. But after a while, I found out ine rule:As long as there is food, no talking. Then I realized that I was actually eating with the Tucks. Eating! I began to think that eating was a very personal thing and that I shouldn't eat with these people. Then, I said,"I wan't to go home." and Mae said that she would do so after she explained about how important the secret of the spring was. After that, Miles said that he would take me on a ride on a rowboat. then, Jesse started arguing that he would. Finally, Mr. Tuck said that he would take me out and that that was that. Then we talked a little about the man in the yellow suit and his observations while we had met him on the way to the Tucks' house. Now Mr. Tuck is going to take me out for a ride on the rowboat. I wonder what we will talk about?

-Winnie-

Dear Journal,

Now I'm out on the pond with Mr. Tuck. First, he told me things about living a full life. He told me about all of the living things at the pond. Then he talked about the rowboat and how it was stuck, just like the Tucks themselves. They were stuck, just like the boat. They hadn't been able to get free, or grow, one inch in all that time. Then Tuck spoke to me about his opinion. He said that he thought a full life, living and dying, was the blessing. Then he spoke to me that it was so important to make me understand about the secrecy of the spring. I was just about to say a compliment when Miles yelled that the horse was gone. I wonder what happened?

-Winnie-

Dear Journal,

Finally it's time to sleep. I expected to sleep in a comfy bed, but did I? No. Instead, I had to sleep on a hard sofa that had cushions that were lumpy and smelled of old newspapers. At first, I thought I would never sleep. But I finally was about to sleep when Mae came down to check on me. Then we had short conversation and she left. After that, I was about to sleep again, when Mr. Tuck came down to check on me too. Then, we had another short conversation and he went back to his room, saying that I could just yell if I needed something. After that, Jesse came to talk with me. He said that I could wait 6 years until I was 17 years old and come to Jesse and marry me! Imagine that? I think that Jesse has gone a little too far. Of course I like him, but...you know. I thought about Jesse's suggestion for a long time and fell asleep.

-Winnie-

Dear Journal,

For the second time in a row, I woke up early in the morning. I had just sat up in bed when Miles came down the stairs and said that we should go fishing. So we went to the pond again and fished, while having a conversation about the spring and Miles' old family. Once, I almost caught a fish-a trout to be exact-but it got away. Then, after we talked a little more, Miles got a bite. The trout looked so horrible and beautiful at the same time, and I could see its marble eyes dimming every second. I asked Miles to let it go and he did. I felt kind of foolish for that, but I also felt a bit happy. Well, with this sentence, this journal entry comes to an end.

-Winnie-

Dear Journal,

Now I'm having breakfast with the Tucks again. We didn't get anything that we wanted to keep while fishing, so we had flapjacks for breakfast instead. After breakfast, we talked about how we were going to get me home, things like that. Well suddenly, there was a knock on the door and I heard a familiar voice. It was the man in the yellow suit. Has he come to take me home?

-Winnie-

Dear Journal,

Oh no! something very bad has happened to the man in the yellow suit. Of course, now I hate him, but it's still horrible. Mae -kind Mae- struck him with the barrel of Mr. Tuck's shotgun so hard that I could hear his skull crack. I wonder what has happened to him? Anyway, I should say a big thank you to Mae. She stopped the man in the yellow suit from taking me against my will from the Tucks. Good news for me-the constable is here-which means that I can finally go home. Bad news for the Tucks-Mae is going to get arrested. She's going to be hanged from the gallows-and won't die. If she doesn't die, then it's going to be a big oh no for the world. The man in the yellow suit has been left with the rest of the Tucks. Hope he doesn't die on the Tucks...

-Winnie-

Dear Journal,

Now I'm back at home, and everything's back to normal. Well, not everything. For instance, I feel like I'm different now. Of course I am, but, I can't really explain it. When I arrived home everyone came at me like I was their guardian angel or something. Everyone was excited about me coming home. I wanted to be soothed, so I sat on the small rocking chair I was given when I was little. My parents said that I could go outside if I didn't stay out there for too long, and I replied, "Yes". I went out and there was the toad! I was very excited about seeing the toad because I had missed it. I suggested to my granny that maybe I could sprinkle some water on him and my granny said OK. But when we went to the toad, he was gone. I stayed there a little longer and who do I see on the other side of the gate but Jesse Tuck! He explained a plan for getting Mae out of jail. Then I suggested a small change in the plan. I would go in the cell and pretend to be Mae while the others escaped. He said maybe and gave me a bottle of the spring water, saying that I should drink the water and track the Tucks down when I was 17. I wonder if I should or if I shouldn't. Hmmm....

-Winnie-

Dear Journal,

It was an extremely hot day. Mother and Granny and I sat in the parlor fanning ourselves and sipping lemonade.I had hid Jesse's bottle of the spring water in a bureau drawer and I had nothing to do but wait. Then I felt the air pressure heavier, which is a sign that rain might come. When I said this, everyone moaned in gratitude. Then, everyone went to bed early. I tried not to, but thinking about the Tucks and what might happen to them somehow lulled me to sleep. I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and looked at the time. Whew! It was five minutes to twelve. I went out and met the Tucks. Then, the plan to save Mae was sprung into action! Miles used his blacksmith skills to pull out the cell window, and I went in to pretend to be Mae. I thought the constable would hear us trying to pull out the window, but Miles used oil to cover the sound. When I went in the cell, it was very cold and dark. Will the constable notice?

-Winnie-

Dear Journal,

Now it's been two weeks since Mae escaped from prison. It was really scary when the constable came to the cell and saw me. First, he gaped at me. Then, he started yelling at me for helping Mae escape. He said that if I were older, I would have to stay there, in the cell. After he yelled at me for quite a while, he sent me back home, where I was sent into the custody of my parents. They asked me all sorts of questions, and I answered all of them truthfully. The biggest question was, "Why did you do it?" and I answered that one truthfully too. I answered that I had done it because I had loved the Tucks. This of all things, my parents understood. All of the other kids were impressed by what I had done. Until now, they had thought that I was too neat, too clean, too prissy to be friends. Now they looked at me in another way. I was at the edge of the fence when two things happened. 1. My toad appeared! 2. A dog appeared and when he saw the toad, he started to prance up and down on its hind legs. I saw what it was going to do and quickly protected the toad by pulling him inside the fence. Then, I hurried back into my house, brought back the bottle that Jesse gave me, and poured it on the toad. Now he's safe. Forever.

-Winnie-