The one I liked best was about potatoes and onions.
It went like this........ Many years ago when Mary { a cousin} left home to come to America with
her children they had to spend almost two months on a cargo ship as she was working her way
here because she had no money to pay passage .
Mary worked in the galley {kitchen} helping the cook. There was food being fixed all day for the
men to eat as they ate in shifts . Mary always had a smile on her face for the men when they came
in to eat. The cook asked her one day why she seemed happy all the time and was told it was
easier to be happy than to be sad.
Mary always found time to see that the children had lessons in reading and writing while she was
working. One day the cook asked if it was hard to read and write and was told no. Mary asked if
he would like to learn and he said he would like to. Mary made sure to bring an extra book and
paper the next morning with her. When they had a break in the work, she showed him how to
write his name, Joe.
Well he sat and wrote it several times while Mary peeled potatoes and put them into the pot to
cook, then she peeled the onions that were there in a basket and put them into the pot with the
potatoes. Oh! What have I done Mary said.
Looking into the pot she saw the onions and potatoes together, there was no way she could think
of to undue what had happened. Well maybe no one would notice the mistake and just eat it
anyway.
Well as you can guess it was noticed by the men when they came to eat. Mary what did you do to
the potatoes they taste wonderful the men said. Mary told them it had been a mistake as she was
teaching Joe to write and just put them into the pot together. The men laughed at this and said it
was a very good mistake. Mary was very happy and said she just might make a mistake again
sometime.
Grandma told me this was a true story her Mom told her when she fixed boiled potatoes and
onions years ago when she was little girl. When my granddaughter is older and helps me in the
kitchen I will tell her this story.
