The Someday Birds

Charlie and his family visit Colonial Williamsburg. Ludmila takes Davis and the twins to see the cannons while Charlie goes to the tavern to wait for them. As soon as he enters, a man in costume named Mr. McGinty accuses Charlie of being Cobbler Smith’s misbehaving apprentice. Charlie doesn’t understand what’s happening at first and feels uncomfortable when the other tourists stare and laugh at the scene. Charlie realizes that this is one of their acts. He asks another woman in costume about Mr. McGinty, and she explains that he often gets too committed to his character. She calls him “a strange bird,” but Charlie doesn’t think it’s strange that he likes Revolutionary War facts and history (270). When Charlie’s family rejoins him, he wonders if they see him the way people see Mr. McGinty.

Charlie’s family has dinner at the tavern. While eating, they try to make plans for the next two days. Charlie still wants to see the marsh and Tiberius Shaw’s house, but the twins insist that birds are boring. Ludmila decides to call Gram to see what she thinks about their schedule.