Vintage Thanksgiving Greeting Card Child Turkey 1890s

What exactly is happening in this standoff between a small child in knickerbockers and a magnificently plumed turkey over what appears to be a football sitting between them? Nothing says 'Happy Thanksgiving' quite like this scene, because nothing captures the holiday spirit like a tense moment over an oblong brown object. The turkey, rendered with genuinely impressive feather detail and a full fan display, is clearly the more dignified party here, while the round-faced boy approaches with the cautious, slightly bowlegged gait of someone who has absolutely no plan. The football's presence raises theological questions that this card has no intention of answering, and frankly neither do we.