Shadows of Caesar's Creek Read Free

smile. “Everyone listen up” The bus got quiet for a moment, and Noni stood in the middle of the aisle, swaying with the bus as it twisted its way downthe narrow roads that led to the camp. She asked loudly, “Does anyone know where Caesar’s Creek got its name?”
    â€œJulius Caesar fell into a creek here?” Rashawn asked. Tiana giggled.
    â€œNope,” Noni said, shaking her head.
    â€œJulius Caesar discovered it?” asked Mimi.
    â€œNot even close” Noni chuckled. “As a matter of fact, it wasn’t named for Julius Caesar at all Any more guesses?”
    â€œMaybe it was named for Caesar’s wife” exclaimed Liza. The girls all laughed and agreed.
    â€œSorry, girls,” Noni replied. “That’s not it either.”
    â€œSo who was it named for, Noni?” asked Jerome.
    â€œListen” she began. The bus had slowed to a stop. “Caesar’s Creek really was named for a man named Caesar. And this Caesar was a mighty, mighty man.” She paused for a moment.
    Ziggy had moved several seats closer so he could hear Noni better. He loved stories about heroes.
    Noni continued, the excitement building in her voice as she watched the faces of the childrenon the bus. “Caesar was a black man—an African American, an ex-slave, an explorer, and an Indian chief. And this was
his
valley, land given to him by the Shawnee Indians”
    She waved her arms and pointed toward the thick greenery all around them. At that, the door of the bus opened.
    â€œAwesome, mon” whispered Ziggy as he jumped from the top step of the bus to the gravel-covered parking lot. “Awesome”

THE BUS WAS FINALLY UNLOADED AND EVERYONE stood blinking in the bright sunlight, quiet for a moment, looking up at the tall trees and into the shadows of the deep green forest in the distance. Birds chirped, the trees swayed in the soft breeze, and squirrels chased each other on the thin branches. Fifty feet from where they stood, a small pond rippled slightly in the morning sunshine.
    â€œLooks like a postcard” whispered Mimi. “It’s so quiet and pretty”
    â€œAnd
all
of this belonged to this dude named Caesar?” asked Rashawn in amazement. “How did he get here?Where did he come from? And why did the Shawnees give it to him?”
    â€œI’ll answer all of your questions tonight at the campfire,” Noni promised. “But first we have to get settled at our campsite.”
    â€œWhere’s our cabins, Noni?” asked Brandy. “It’s pretty out here, but all I see is forest”
    â€œSorry, Brandy,” Noni answered, “no cabins for this trip. We’re going to pitch our tents and sleep in the open air”
    â€œCool” she replied. “Maybe I’ll write a poem about the ‘murky midnight air’”
    â€œOpen air” gasped Jerome. “You mean where bugs can crawl on you at night?”
    â€œBugs gotta sleep too, mon” Ziggy offered. “Not to worry”
    Noni decided it was time to show them a little nature up close. “Come over here,” she said as she walked to the pond. They followed as she walked to the edge of the pond, near the tall, reedy plants that grew in the water. “I want you to tell me what you see.”
    â€œI see water,” said Tiana. “And look I can see your reflection, Rico. Yours, too, Rashawn,” she added shyly.
    â€œI see bushes growing in the water,” added Brandy.
    â€œAnd leaves floating on the water—almost like they were growing there” observed Mimi.
    â€œYou’re right,” said Noni, smiling. “Those are water lilies. Keep looking.”
    â€œI see bugs flying real close to the water—they look like little dive-bombers” said Jerome as he watched them. “They don’t look so bad.”
    â€œThere’s a little fish in the water too” cried Rico. “Look There’s a