Free Horrible Harry Goes to Sea by Suzy Kline Page A

turn, she unfolded a quilt. “My great-grandmother Gilda made this in Israel. Her family saved scraps of cloth and sewed them together to make blankets. Mom said they didn’t waste anything.”
    â€œIt’s so colorful!” Miss Mackle exclaimed.
    I went up next. “My great-grandfather Benjamin was president of a bank in Indiana. He was real good with numbers. But Mom told me there was something called the Great Depression in 1930 and his bank closed. He was sad about that.”

    Then I showed everyone my piggy bank. “Grandfather Ben gave this to my mom and she gave it to me. I save my pennies and nickels in it now.”
    After I sat down, it was Harry’s turn.
    He held up a dog tag on a long silver chain. “This belonged to my great-grandfather Sam Spooger. He was a captain in World War II. Mom said when he was in Italy, an artillery shell fell off the rack. Right in front of ten army men!
    â€œThose huge bullets are heavier than a bowling ball! If one of those babies hit the ground, you’d be blasted to smithereens. Well, my great-grandfather caught it with his bare hands before it touched the ground. He saved his men, but he lost his thumb. He was a hero.”
    Miss Mackle put her hand over her heart and sighed.
    When Song Lee went up to the front of the room, she spoke in a soft voice. Slowly, she opened her big bag. “My great-grandfather Chung Hee Park was a painter. He painted this picture of the countryside in South Korea where my family lived. Korea means land of high mountains and sparkling streams. And that is what Great-Grandfather Chung Hee liked to paint.”
    Song Lee finally smiled as she headed for her seat. I think she was relieved her turn was over.
    â€œThank you for sharing your ancestor’s beautiful painting!” Miss Mackle said. “And thank you, boys and girls, for sharing such inspiring stories!”
    Finally, Miss Mackle called the last person. “Ida?”
    Ida picked up the black box and walked to the front of the room.
    Everyone sat up and waited to find out what was inside her locked box.

Ida’s Box

    W e all watched Ida use the key on her gold necklace to unlock the box. When it clicked, our eyes doubled in size.
    But instead of opening the box, she pulled down our world map. “My great-great-grandmother,” Ida said, “was born here in India.” Everyone looked at the country she pointed to. “It kind of looks like an ice cream cone.”
    Everyone leaned forward as Ida slowly removed the lid from her black box. “Her name was Persis, and she sailed on the Titanic ! ”
    â€œOooooooh,” everyone oohed.
    â€œDid Purse die in the icy water?” Sidney asked.
    â€œNo, Persis was a survivor,” Ida said proudly. “The things in this black box are replicas. Mom told me that means copies. They’re not the originals. But it gives you an idea of what it was like to be on the Titanic. There are postcards, and a menu, and even telegrams warning about the icebergs.”

    â€œOoooooh,” we oohed again.
    Miss Mackle closed her grade book. “Amazing! Your great-great-grandmother sailed on the Titanic ! ”

    â€œShe was a dancer like me,” Ida added with a big grin. “She danced in the general room until midnight. That’s where the third-class passengers played instruments.”
    â€œRupert sang sea chanteys like yo ho ho and a bottle of rum !” Sidney blurted out.
    â€œIf Elvis was there, he’d be playing his guitar,” Dexter chimed in. Then he shuffled his feet and tapped his fingers on his desk.
    Mary snapped at both Sidney and Dexter, “Shhhh! It’s not your turn!”
    Ida continued, “Great-Great-Grandmother Persis was 98 years old when she died. I don’t remember her because I was just a baby then. But Mom showed me her scrapbook. When she finally got to America, she met my great-great-grandfather in New York City. He was