You have probably heard about legends. Two legends that a lot of people have heard of are The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and the Legend of Billy the Kid.  In the book Holes, there is the legend of Kissin’ Kate Barlow. You will enjoy reading it.
 Legends are an important way of passing on history and culture.  Legends are usually based in truth, although they change a little over time. The Yelnat’s family knew a little about Kissin’ Kate.  Great-great grandpa Yelnats was robbed by Kissin' Kate Barlow and she left him stranded in the desert.  Did she kiss him?

     Every year there was a picnic on the Fourth of July. Every year Katherine Barlow was awarded a prize for her special peaches. Mmmmmmmm. No one could make them as good as Miss Katherine! Katherine Barlow was the town’s only schoolteacher. She was a great teacher and all the children loved her.
     In the evening she taught classes for adults and they loved her as well. It seems, though, that they were more interested in the teacher and not the education. One of the men was Trout Walker. Everyone expected him and Miss Katherine to get married. One night after school, Trout asked Miss Katherine if she wanted to ride on his boat. “No thanks,” Miss Katherine answers. “Nobody says “no” to me!” Trout Walker furiously exclaims! Katherine points out she just did.
     There was also Onion Sam and his donkey, Mary Lou, who sold onions. Whenever anyone got sick, they went to the doctor and to Sam. People knew that Doc did a good job, but Sam's  onions cured anything, even a bald head could grow hair with his onion ointment! . When Katherine bought onions, she always bought a couple extra for Mary Lou to eat out of her hand. “It’s supposed to rain and there’s a leak in the schoolhouse,” Katherine sighs.
     Onion Sam agrees to fix the roof in return for six jars of Katherine’s special peaches. Sam wasn’t allowed to attend school. But Sam is interested in learning and pretty soon, he  is reading poetry. When Sam finished the roof, he started on the windows for two more jars of peaches. Sam works on odd jobs at the schoolhouse for a long time. Sam enjoys fixing things, but he also is learning.  Before long he can read poetry - he even memorizes some!   By the end of the year everyone in the town admired the schoolhouse.  They were happy to get a new schoolhouse.
     Everyone was happy except for Kate. Kate had run out of things for Onion Sam to fix!  One day she ran outside and threw her arms around Mary Lou (instead of Sam). “Oh, Sam,” she cried, “my heart is breaking.” Sam told her he could fix that, and he kissed her. Just then a townswoman appeared, pointed her finger in their direction and said, “God will punish you.” By the end of the day the word had spread all around town.
     The townspeople were very upset,  The men most of all, since a lot of them had hoped to marry her. They were going to burn down the schoolhouse and hang Sam..........
     Did Kate Barlow rescue Sam?
     She became the most feared outlaw for the next twenty years.  Is it true that Kissin’ Kate Barlow only kissed the men she shot?
     Something happened that persisted for the next 100 years.  What is it?  Read this book!!!!

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