Good Morning, Mr. President
By Kay Hively;
illustrated by Billie Gofourth-
Stewart
On Tuesdays, the Deseret Morning News publishes a chapter from a serialized book that can be read to children or they can read to themselves. This is the eighth and final installment of "Good Morning, Mr. President." For more stories to read with a child, see page C3.
CHAPTER EIGHT: Good-bye,
Mr. President
Mrs. Potter suggested that Peggy come to visit every weekday morning. They would sit on the porch and Mrs. Potter would read out loud, all the stories about presidents.
Peggy was happy with this idea. She suggested they start that very day. So Mrs. Potter began reading about Abraham Lincoln. Peggy sat in the big wicker chair listening to Mrs. Potter and watching the Keystone Boys on the mountain.
For ten days, Peggy listened as Mrs. Potter read. At the same time, she watched as the Keystone Boys created a great monument. Abraham Lincoln was coming to life right out of the book and, at the same time, right out of the mountain.
Peggy learned what a great man Mr. Lincoln was. She learned how badly Abraham Lincoln wanted to learn to read. Her favorite story was about him borrowing books to read by firelight. She also liked knowing he lived in a log cabin, just like she was doing this summer.
When the book about President Lincoln was finished, Mrs. Potter began reading about Thomas Jefferson. As Mrs. Potter's beautiful voice told the story of Mr. Jefferson, Peggy studied his giant face on the mountain. She thought President Jefferson looked very intelligent.
As the days of the Jefferson book passed, Peggy learned about the things Mr. Jefferson invented. But the best part of his story was how he wrote the Declaration of Independence. Mrs. Potter said freedom should be cherished by every American.
The third book was about Theodore Roosevelt. At first Peggy had a difficult time looking at the mountain. President Roosevelt was not there yet. Peggy knew where he was going to be, but she had to look at a picture in Mrs. Potter's book to see what he looked like.
Peggy immediately liked Mr. Roosevelt. He was like her father. She hoped some day she could come back to Mount Rushmore and see him up there with the other great presidents.
By the time Mrs. Potter got to a book on George Washington, summer was coming to an end. Peggy's mother had started talking about going back to Nebraska and putting the children in school. Peggy was glad that Mr. Washington was the last book. After saying "Good morning, Mr. President," every day, she had come to love his face on the mountain.
Mrs. Potter read about what a brave soldier General Washington was and how he had defeated the British Army. But the most exciting thing was when Mr. Washington became the first president of the United States. Peggy thought it was sad that Mr. Washington never got to live in the White House like all the other presidents.
When it was time for the Jansen family to move back to Nebraska, Mr. Lincoln's head was almost finished. Peggy had hoped they could
stay until it was dedicated, but school would not wait on Mike and Peggy. And she was going to miss Mrs. Potter.
When Peggy went to bed for the last time in South Dakota, she could hardly keep from crying. The next morning she looked out her window for the last time and, in a very sad voice, said, "Good-bye, Mr. President. Good -bye."
Kay Hively and Billie Gofourth-Stewart both live in Neosho, Mo. Produced in partnership with the Missouri Press Foundation.
"Good Morning, Mr. President" is not available on the Deseret News Web page. If you are a Deseret Morning News subscriber and miss a chapter, call 237-2135 or visit the Deseret Morning News offices, 30 E. 100 South, for a replacement.
Publication of "Good Morning, Mr. President" is sponsored by the Deseret Morning News Newspapers in Education Department.
There is no teachers guide for this story but questions and activities, as well as a keepsake book for students to paste in chapters, are available at www.deseretnews.com/nie under serialized stories.
Copyright © 2001, Missouri Press Foundation.