Posted by Dr. Uncle Mark on January 19, 2001 at 09:54:40:
Hannah and Hiram were gazing out their kitchen window, when they saw Dr. Uncle Mark in the empty red Monty drive up. They squealed in delight and met Dr. Uncle at the door, still squealing and jumping up and down.
"Oh, ho, my little Scottish piggies! Your screaming reminds me of a story about the time Many Flags and the Berks County folk butchered pigs, making pans and pans of scrapple and liverwurst which kept them fed through the winter of 1759. How about if I tell you about that, you wee kracklin eaters?"
The niece and nephew turned to their parents and asked, "Can Dr. Uncle Mark stay and tell us stories from Chronicles Three? Please! Please!"
The Mother and Father turned up their noses, nodded, mumbled and grunted a bit and went back to their boring life.
Dr. Uncle gathered the wee ones on his knee and he began to tell the butchering story. Hannah and Hiram were intent on every word, eyes wide as their Uncle talked of head meat and hog maw, kidneys and sweetbreads. Hiram interrupted. "Dr. Uncle, this story is really awesome, but I don't understand all that is happening with Flags and Tales and Malcolm and Davey and Seamus and all the others? Isn't there more to these Chronicles than just marrying and hunting and butchering?"
"What do you mean, Laddie? Don't you like the stories in the Third Chronicles?"
"Sure", answered Hiram and Hannah agreed with a shake of her noggin. "But, in Chronicles One, our ancestors were all headed to Fort Frederick and they had great adventures along the way. And in Chronicles Two, they were on the Forbes Expedition with danger from the French and Indians. These third tales don't seem to have a point. Seamus is getting well from his wound. Flags is married. Malcolm and Davey are just lounging around at Bedford. Uncle Quasi and Uncle Angus just show up now and then. Where is all the adventure? Where will all this end?"
At that moment, a voice from the background rivetted their attention. All three, Dr. Uncle, Hannah and Hiram, turned their heads as if on one body, and looked at the television which was playing an old movie. A large mouth had appeared on the screen and it whispered the words "REDBUD"!
"Eeeeeeek", shrieked the nephew and niece. The Mother and Father jumped in astonishment but quickly controlled their emotions and went back to their boring life.
Dr. Uncle Mark laughed out loud, his head tilted back and his whole body shaking. "You two beat all!", and he bounced Hannah and Hiram on his knee. "Now what made you scream like that? That's just an old movie called 'Citizen Kane'."
"But, Dr. Uncle", whispered Hannah as she leaned close to her Uncle, "those are the words that we keep hearing in Chronicles Three. What do they mean? Is there a mystery that you'll be telling us? Ahhhh, this makes me curious. It's giving me the shivers!"
"Elementary, my dear Hannah," quipped Hiram with a deep English accent. "The mystery of the redbud will all be revealed to us with a bit of deduction and reasoning."
Dr. Uncle laughed aloud again, once more drawing furtive glances and mumblings from the very busy Mother and Father! He whispered to the niece and nephew, "How about if you get your boots on, your coats, hats and mittens, and we go for a walk in the woods. I'll finish the butchering story and, well, I'll give you a few more clues concerning the mystery of 'redbud'. Because, you see, there is a point to Chronicles Three, and there is adventure. It's just hiding for you to ferret out."
Silently the three withdrew from the somber atmosphere of the parents, clothed themselves warmly, and walked into the cold January air, giggling quietly with expectations.