Theme Analysis - Worksheet 3

In the spring of 1848, Sarah's family packed everything they owned into a covered wagon and headed west on the Oregon Trail. They were traveling nearly two thousand miles to Oregon, where Pa hoped to start a new farm with rich soil and plenty of rain. Sarah was ten years old and had never been more than five miles from the small town where she was born. She watched their house disappear behind the hills and wondered if she would ever see it again. Ma sat beside her on the wagon bench and squeezed her hand. "Every mile brings us closer to our new home," Ma said gently. After six long weeks of traveling across dusty plains, the wagon train reached a wide river. The water churned and rushed over jagged rocks, swollen from recent rains. Pa climbed down from the wagon and studied the current, his face tight with worry. "The water is too fast here," he told Ma quietly, though Sarah overheard. "If we try to cross at this spot, the wagon could tip over and everything we own would be swept away." Other families in the wagon train gathered to discuss what to do. Some wanted to wait for the water to go down, but no one knew how long that would take. Winter would come before they reached Oregon if they waited too long. That evening, Pa met a fur trapper named Thomas who knew the river well. Thomas told Pa about a shallower crossing spot two miles upstream where the riverbed was sandy instead of rocky. The next morning, the whole family worked together to prepare. Pa and Thomas sealed the bottom of the wagon with tar and animal fat to make it waterproof. Ma packed their food and blankets in oilskin to keep them dry. Sarah helped calm the frightened horses by speaking softly to them and stroking their noses. Even her little brother helped by carrying supplies to higher ground in case the wagon leaked. At dawn, the family began the crossing. Thomas rode his horse ahead to guide them along the safest path. The water rose to the wagon's axles, and the horses snorted with fear, but Sarah kept talking to them in a steady voice. Step by step, they moved through the cold current. When the wheels finally touched dry ground on the other side, everyone cheered and hugged. Other families followed their path across. That night, gathered around the campfire, Pa put his arm around Sarah. "You were brave today," he said. Sarah smiled, knowing that with her family working together, they could face any challenge the trail put in their way.