"Avast ye land lubbers! Hoist that sail!" shouted Tom to his posse of neighborhood boys. The six boys tied up an old sheet they had gotten from Tom's mother in the branches above the tree house.
All the boys were sporting various hats and eye patches, some made of paper, some made of cloth. They were also wearing the raggiest clothes they could find. Poor Daniel stood out like a sore thumb. His mother never let his clothes get ragged, despite his protests.
"Where we be sailin' to this mornin' cap'n?" asked first mate Johnny.
"We be sailin' to Jamaica! There be a village to pillage! Let's shove off!"
"Aye Cap'n!" shouted the boys.
Tom's dog, having seen Tom, jumped up and barked.
"Cap'n! There be a dog shark off the port bow!" shouted lookout Steve.
"We'll harpoon it, and have it for dinner!"
"Dinner!" shouted the boys.
"Uh, Cap'n? What's a harpoon?" asked Ted.
"A nautical weapon! It's got a pointy end and a rope attached to it, to reel in the kill!"
"Oh, we don't have one then," said Ted.
"Arr! This be bad luck boys! We'll have to go without dinner!"
"Very bad!" shouted the boys.
As Tom and his crew of fearsome pirates sailed to Jamaica, Tom's dog watched from the base of the tree. Whenever he saw Tom's face over the railing, he would stand up and bark. Being a dog, he didn't care about their game, but he did want to play with Tom.
"Hello puppy," said Lily, Tom's younger sister. She patted his head and scratched his ears. "Do you want to play too?"
He wagged his tail and barked affirmatively.
Lily laughed. "Maybe we can play together."
"AHOY CAP'N!" shouted a voice from above. "THERE BE A MONSTER WITH THE SHARK!"
Tom leaned over the rail to see.
"We want to play too, Tom!" shouted Lily to her brother.
He frowned as shouts of "NO GIRLS!" and "She'll just want to dress up and have tea!" and "She'll take over the ship and turn it into a love boat or something, like my sister always does!" and "Girls can't be pirates!" peppered his ears. Tom liked playing with his sister, but he was worried the boys would leave if he invited her up.
He had an idea. "Mermaid off the port bow!" he shouted. "The sea gods be smilin' on us today!"
"Why, Cap'n?" asked Jim.
"Why? Every sailor knows a mermaid brings good luck! Lower the dingy and bring her and the shark up! No one would dare stop us with them aboard!"
The boys hesitated only for a moment, and lowered the lift for Lily and the dog.
Elizabeth Williamson Copyright © 2008
3 comments:
amusing.
Intriguing.
M.
you sound so unimpressed. i only gave myself 1/2 hour to write it. it was all the time i had between work and that paper.
A fun story Beth! Me like the idea of kids playing Pirates, etc. Reminds me of my own childhood. I also liked their home-made costumes, and the piratey accents they adopted for their game. It's what I would have done.
Just a few suggestions, then I'll shut up:
Wherever the dog says "Woof!" I'd describe his barking and behavior rather than giving him lines of dialogue. Seems odd. (Maybe that's just me.)
"All the boys were sporting various hats, some made of paper, and eye patches."
Were those, various hats made of paper and eye patches? Even with the commas it sounds as if there were hats made from eye patches. You might explain further what the other hats were made of, if they weren't paper. Then add that some wore eye patches. I dunno.
Poor Daniel doesn't get to look raggedy. Mom's are such a drag.
Tom must be made of better stuff than I was when I was a kid. When it was me and my buds playing, sisters were not allowed unless they were prisoners starving in the brig or waiting for the gallows.
A happy ending for all. Good stuff!
Especially impressive having written it in a half an hour. I usually give myself several hours, sit on it a day or two, re-read it, proof it, and post it. But that's just me.
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