Once upon a time there lived a boy named Michael Grant, who was the youngest of three children. He was ten years old, and his two oldest sisters were sixteen, and twelve; their names were Philomena and Edith. He had a mother and father, whose names were Marie and Luke Grant. Michael also had a Saint Bernard dog, who was two and a half years old. The Grant family lived in a cabin, with a farm, surrounded by woods and lakes and a clear sky.
One day, Michael and his two sisters were walking in the woods, enjoying the day and its beautiful autumn smells and the beautiful clear sky. They talked about things, such as All Saints Day and Thanksgiving, and how they loved the Fall weather. But once they reached the middle of the woods where the lake lie, they found a big basket in the water with a folded up cloak upon it. Michael took a stick and reached over to pull the basket in, but when he found what was in it, he was overjoyed, for it held: eggs, cooked chicken, bread, and berries. Philomena and Edith were happy too, and they helped Michael carry the big basket back home, through the woods.
Philomena, Edith and Michael reached home at about dusk, excited about what they found in the woods on the lake. They decided to put the Fall leaves on the basket, and make it a surprise gift for their parents, and dog. They entered their cabin to see the normal sight: their mom working and cooking, and their dad carving pieces of wood and a chair. Michael and his two eldest sisters approached their parents, and handed the basket to them, with a happy smile coming from both. At dinner time, Michael set the cloak around the table, and placed the basket upon it, and they all sat down and thanked Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the Saints, for their little portion of food that night.
The next morning the three children woke to find pie, milk, some left over bread and scrambled eggs on the table for breakfast. They ate a little fast but carefully, so they could finish up their chores and do their schoolwork. It was another beautiful Fall morning, and the birds chirped away their songs like they did each day to wake the rest of the animals and trees. Philomena and Edith sat outside on the wooden porch, reading and writing, and Michael sat on the grass by his Saint Bernard, Shadow, licking him while Michael was reading. Soon, three o’clock struck, and the three children were allowed to walk into Town, each with a certain amount of money, to buy whatever they wanted after they got the things their mother asked of.
They reached Town, and went into shops and bought what was on their mother’s list, and then they bought a gift for each of them. Afterwards, they walked home, taking the way to the top of the small hill where they could view the lakes and trees all about them. But then – Michael shouted out – seeing a large moving circle in one of the lakes, with the sparkling water around it. Philomena, Edith and Michael ran down the hill and followed the sound of the trickling water, and soon found the floating circle in the water, which now happened to be a big basket. Michael again took a stick and pulled the basket forward, opening the blanket upon it…there, Michael knelt down and looked up and thanked Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the Saints, for everything they had done for his family.