after dinner we play ring games and tell riddles and i pull out my pennywhistle and give 'em a few tunes and songs and raps out some steps and then we gathers about the fireplace and pops popcorn , which is the most wondrous and tasty thing and which betsey says the early settlers learned from the indians back when the indians was being nice before the british started paying them to ... and then she reddens and clams up , having forgot for a moment , i guess , my history and place of birth , but i laughs it off and packs in more of the salty popcorn and sings a few more songs .