Harlow - I very much enjoyed your post, thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. Liberties may have been taken over the years with the "5 kernels of corn" story but I think the site at the Plantation (http://www.plimoth.org/Library/fivekern.htm ) is being a little too critical. Of course the corn was not rationed at 5 kernels a day! The 5 kernels are merely symbolic of a time of want. Also, to say the story is a "myth gradually faded from public memory, and is seldom referred to today" is certainly not true. Many state societies of the General Society relate this story at their Compact Meeting each fall and many place 5 kernels at each plate as Gail mentioned. I too know people who carry around their 5 kernels in a tiny plastic bag and I know how much these "symbols" mean to them. After carefully re-reading Bradford, I do agree with the site when it says that he does not mention rationing corn in 1623 - I could find no reference to this and will take it out of my version. (While I used Bradford as a reference I also used other sources - I should have stuck to Bradford!). However, it is clear that in the period between the fall of 1621-fall 1623 occurred two years of "want". During this period he mentions "weakness for want of food", "low and poor condition", "hungry bellies". After the arrival of the Fortune in 1621 rations were cut in half ("half allowance") and in 1622, upon building the fort he states "It was great work for them in this weakness and time of wants". The same year he states that "famine began now to pinch them sore" and bread was rationed . The 5 kernels of corn are symbolic of the struggles and hardships our ancestors endured during the early years and more importantly, as Harlow pointed out, for the fact that they did endure and they did survive.I will be revising the story on our web site to reflect this. Susan E. Roser. (PS Happy Thanksgiving!) www.rootsweb.com/~canms/canada.html

Just to add one thought to the five kernels of corn idea. We have used this for several years in our family. We do not use the dry kernels or put them in a bag. We put 5 kernels on each plate and before eating the meal each person names something he/she is thankful for as they eat a kernel. Sometimes each person names all five and sometimes we go around the table(s) naming one at a time. This continues until each kernel has been eaten and only then do we bless and start the regular meal. When the children were little we always asked if they thought they had eaten enough for the day... and then of course reminded them that the pilgrims had so very little for so a long time. Harlow's reminder of their reliance on and gratitude for divinity was right on. I think the 5 kernels has helped me make this a little more graphic and memorable for my children. And it gives us each a moment to pause and reflect on both our blessings and our ancestors (and maybe hardships that could pass for us, too) during an otherwise very busy day. Happy Thanksgiving to all! Lucy