Listen and read-along with this story by, Melissa G. Christensen

“That’s a huge turkey!” said Ava. She pointed to the big round bag on the kitchen counter. “I guess Mom is defrosting it for Thanksgiving dinner.”

“Is it 2,000 pounds?” asked Ava’s little brother Eli.

“Not that heavy,” said Ava.

“Lemme see.”  Eli raised his arms to lift the turkey.

“Nooo!” Ava shooed Eli’s arms away.  She knew Mom wouldn’t want them to touch it.

“Oh no!”  Eli’s arm accidentally smacked the turkey, and it rolled rolled…

…right off the counter.

The heavy turkey landed on the floor. Ava and her brother sprinted toward it.

Ava kicked it by mistake. It rolled.

“Ahhh! Not the stairs!”

The turkey barreled down all five stairs.

Ava and Eli darted down the stairs, just as the front door opened.

“Good morning!” said Joey, the milkman, carrying in this week’s milk.

The turkey sped right past Joey, out the open front door.

“Oh no! That’s our turkey!” Ava bolted out the door past Joey.

“Your turkey?! How in the world…” Joey watched Eli dash out of the door, too.

“After that turkey!”

Joey charged after Eli, Ava and the turkey, which was rolling down the front walkway.

“The fence will stop it!” Ava slowed down.

Just then, the front gate opened.

“Oh, good morning everyone,” said Maria, the mail carrier. “Whoa!” she lunged out of the way of the travelling turkey. “What was that?”

“It’s our turkey!” Ava ran full speed again. “And now it’s out the gate!”

“Your turkey?! How in the world…” Maria watched everyone chasing the spinning package. “After that turkey!”

Maria scrambled after Joey the milkman, Eli, Ava, and the turkey.

It crushed leaves as it spiraled down the sidewalk.

The turkey careened toward the neighbor’s yard. Ava yelled, “Nooo! They have a koi pond! And the turkey’s ruined if it falls in!”

Ava, Eli, Joey and Maria raced faster.

Suddenly, Ava noticed the skimmer that her neighbor uses to clean leaves out of the pond. Could that catch the turkey?

Ava changed course to grab the skimmer. As soon as she snatched it, she hurried back to the pond and stretched out as far as she could.

SWISH! 

She scooped the turkey.

“I GOT IT!!!  I caught it!!”

Ava jumped up and down, holding the skimmer with the turkey in it.

“Wow! You caught that just in time,” said Joey. “Two more rolls, and that turkey would have gone right in.”

“Time to bring it back home, kids,” said Maria.

Ava and Eli thanked Joey and Maria, then said goodbye.

Back in the kitchen, Ava placed the big round bag back on the kitchen counter. Mom walked in and saw her.

“Oh, hey kiddos. I see you’re peeking at the Thanksgiving centerpiece. Doesn’t it look real for a plastic turkey? It’ll look adorable on the table.”

Ava and Eli stood with their mouths open.

“I’m gonna take out the turkey to defrost now,” Mom said, opening the freezer. “Be careful with that centerpiece, you two. It’s pretty heavy.  Plus, we don’t want it to roll off the counter.”

Ava sighed. “No, Mom, we really don’t.”

THE END

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About the Author

Melissa G. Christensen is a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature. She currently works with preschool children. She loves to cook, read, and spend time with her family, who inspire her everyday.

Melissa has had wild turkeys walk around her backyard a few times…but has never seen one roll.