Read Something to Hold for Free Online

thirty the room is steaming.
    We're rehearsing for the Columbus Day assembly next week. Each class will perform something about America. We're doing the Oregon state song, which is about free men who conquered the Golden West. We've built a rickety covered wagon out of a packing crate and canvas. Now we're stuck learning the words, and we haven't even tried the singing part.
    From his desk at the front, Mr. Nute signals Deland to start over.
    Deland takes a deep breath and plunges in. "Landatheempirebuilders..."
    "
Stop!
It's '
Land
...
of.
.. the
Em
-pire
Buil
-ders.'" Mr. Nute taps out the beat on his desk with a ruler.
    Deland stands there in the aisle, clutching the songbook.
    "Again." Mr. Nute raises his arms, the ruler now a baton.
    "Landa—"
    Mr. Nute slams the ruler down on the desk. "
Land OF!
" he blasts. "Good grief!"
    Deland flinches and drops the book. We clamp our mouths shut, hold still. The storm will blow over if we don't move. "Sit."
    Deland sits. Reaching down, he scoops up the book.
    Mr. Nute scans the rows. He pauses for a second at Raymond, who's hunkered down low at his desk, then nods to Franklin. "Next line."
    Each kid reads just one. I don't have to pay attention, because I've counted and there aren't enough lines left.
    Franklin slouches at his desk, fumbling with the pages.
He wasn't even following along.
He draws his fist up to his mouth and mumbles into it.
    "For Pete's sake, speak up!" Mr. Nute stands, frowning at Franklin, who keeps his own eyes glued to the page. Exasperation rolls in a wave from the front of the room.
    "
People,
" Mr. Nute says, "this is our state song. A majestic tribute to every person who came to this land seeking a better life. It deserves more respect."
    He sighs again and sits back down. "Orin. Go on."
    Orin holds the book up in front of his face like a shield. "Hell to thee..." he reads.
    "
Mis-ter Culpus!
" Mr. Nute jumps up, slamming the book on his desk.
    Orin looks confused. "What'd I do?"
    Mr. Nute stares him down. "It's
hail
to thee," he spits, and points straight out the door. Orin has the good sense to set down the book and go.
    Mr. Nute watches to make sure Orin gets to Mr. Shanahan's office. Then he settles himself into the creaky old chair at his desk. "Who's next?" he asks.
    This is not a safe moment to raise a hand. In the weeks we've been in school, I've learned to read Mr. Nute. At times like this, it's best to stay out of range.
    But it doesn't work. He gets up, walks slowly down the aisle, and stops right above my desk.
    "Kitty," he says, "you read the rest for us."
    I stand, wipe my sweaty hand on my skirt, and hold the book still so that I can see the words. I read the second stanza and then sit.
    Mr. Nute walks to the front of the room, then turns and stands, hands clasped behind his back.
    "Kitty," he says, "what is this song about?"
    "Explorers," I say.
    He rocks back on the heels of his cowboy boots. "
And?
"
    I hate when teachers want you to guess what's in their head. "Uh ... pioneers coming to Oregon?"
    "And
why
are they coming to Oregon?"
    I feel like an idiot. But he's waiting. I say the first thing that pops into my head. "This is the land of the free and the home of the brave."
    Beside me, Benson snickers and shakes his head.
I know it was stupid.
    That must have been close enough. Mr. Nute says, "OK. At least one of you has some idea what we're talking about."
    He starts pacing up the row, boot heels clicking against the polished floor.
    "We are
all
immigrants," he says, "And America is the
greatest
country in the history of mankind. It was established on the backs of those who came before us."
    Mr. Nute pauses for a second to let that sink in, then he unleashes an oration on Columbus Day and the ideals on which this country was founded. All made possible, Mr. Nute tells us, because this one man and a bunch of others who came after him had the courage and vision to seek out this empty and savage New World, to plant their flags so that