Vinnie and Mandy stood on the lawn with their parents.
They were all looking at their house.
"Just a few more things we'll do," Dad said proudly.
"Then our home will be perfect."
"Today we're going to clean that attic," said Mom.
"Yep, it's filled with junk," Dad said firmly.
Speechless, Mandy poked her brother hard.
"Ouch! We'll do it, Dad!"
said Vinnie, rubbing his arm.
"That's okay. I'll take care of it," Dad replied.
He went into the house.
"We have to get the album!" cried Vinnie.
"Come on!"
The children ran into the house.
"Whoa! Where are you going?"
Dad shouted as they ran past him.
"We have to do something!" Vinnie cried.
They raced up the attic stairs and slammed the door shut.
"Vinnie! Grab the album!" cried Mandy.
Vinnie opened the album to another page.
"Mandy! Look!" Vinnie showed her the new photo.
"We don't have time . . . ," Mandy began.
But her eyes were drawn to the beautiful photo.
The old man was standing in front of a large group of Indians.
They were standing in a circle.
One Indian was holding something like a big belt.
It glowed brightly.
"What's going on up there?"
Dad shouted angrily from below.
Those were the last words the children heard.
Their eyes closed and they fell down the dark tunnel.
They landed on soft soil.
"What's that smell?" Vinnie moaned.
"Something's burning," replied Mandy.
The children were in a village surrounded by a tall fence.
Around them, long buildings with curved roofs were covered in bark and animal skins.
A large fire burned in the middle of the village.
People were throwing pieces of cloth into it.
A young girl came out of a nearby house.
She gasped loudly when she saw them.
"How did you get in here?"
she said, looking shocked.
"Well, we just . . . ," said Mandy nervously.
Like the girl, Vinnie and Mandy were wearing shirts made of animal skin.
Vinnie wore pants underneath.
Both Mandy and the girl wore a skirt.
The girl stared angrily at Mandy.
"You are white.
You don't belong here," she said.
Vinnie and Mandy did not know what to say.
Just then, an old woman appeared from the same house.
She looked at Vinnie and Mandy curiously.
"Who are you?" she asked.
The children introduced themselves.
"Do you know where you are?" the woman asked.
"Uh, not really," Vinnie replied truthfully.
"This is the village of the Iroquois," said the old woman.
"So go home!" the girl said in a mean way.
"Onatah, it is the time of the Green Corn Festival," the woman said softly.
"It is a time of thanksgiving and forgiveness."
"I know, Grandmother," Onatah mumbled.
Nodding, the old woman looked at Vinnie and Mandy again.
"I am Clan Mother.
The People of the Longhouse welcome you," she said.