Part 13 (2/2)
[Ill.u.s.tration: YOU ARE NOW OUR ONLY HOPE]
'After comforting him as much as I could, and a.s.suring him that I would do my best, I hastened down to the sh.o.r.e and embarked in the little boat. I paddled a good way out to sea until I came to a suitable fis.h.i.+ng-ground, and then threw out my line. I fished and fished and fished and fished, and on drawing in my line found nothing on the hook except the bait, a wretched piece of dried fish skin, which looked very draggled as it rose from the water. ”Better luck next time,” thought I, as I threw my line for the second time, and fished and fished and fished and fished and fished. Yet, on pulling up the line, I found to my dismay that instead of better luck I had even worse, if that were possible, for the wretched bait had vanished from the hook. ”Once more,” thought I, as I dropped my line overboard for the third time, ”and, fish or no fish, I must give it up, even though we all die of starvation.” So I fished and fished and fished and fished and fished with all my might, and when at length I had hauled it in you may imagine my distress when I discovered that not merely was there no fish upon the line, but that the hook itself had disappeared. With tears of rage and disappointment I now gave it up and prepared to return, but I had not gone very far when I thought, ”Shall I have just one more try even without hook or bait?” And not giving myself any time to think about it, I hurled my line out for the fourth time and fished and fished and fished and fished and fished and fished and fished as hard as I could, when fancying that I felt a nibble, I hauled it in as quickly as possible and found an old sardine-tin which had become entangled in the line.
'Hastily opening the tin, all I found therein was the head of an old sprat. ”Alas!” said I to myself, ”is this, after all my troubles, the only food I can take to my suffering father and hungering mother and brothers and sisters; better it would have been had we never been born!” and the tears streamed down my face.
'As I bent low over my miserable catch a great shadow pa.s.sed across the boat and suddenly looking up, I beheld a beautiful albatross sailing in the sky above me. No sooner did the graceful creature catch sight of the head of the sprat than it swooped down upon the tin that contained it, s.n.a.t.c.hing it from my hands, and flew off with it as speedily as possible. Now it happened I had not let go my hold on the line, the other end of which was still fastened to the tin, so that in a very few minutes I felt myself lifted bodily up and whirled through the air and out to sea at a great speed. Dangling many feet beneath the great bird, on and on I was carried over the tops of the waves, in the greatest anxiety lest the marauding fowl should take a lower flight, in which case I should inevitably have been plunged into the sea and drowned.
'How many miles we travelled thus it would be impossible for me to tell, but at length my arms grew tired of holding on and supporting my weight, and I began to fear every moment that I should slip off into the sea, when I beheld a fis.h.i.+ng-boat in the distance, right in our course.
Hoping that we should reach it before my strength gave out I anxiously watched the vessel as we gradually drew near. At last I found myself directly over the boat, and shutting my eyes, I let go my hold on the line, and dropped down right on to a pile of fish in the middle of the deck, sending them flying in all directions amongst the astonished fisherman.
[Ill.u.s.tration: I FISHED AND FISHED AND FISHED]
'My remarkable appearance amongst them had the most astonis.h.i.+ng effect upon the fishermen. They one and all leapt into the sea, and notwithstanding my endeavours to entice them back to the boat, and to explain to them my sudden descent upon their vessel, the affrighted creatures swam off to the distant sh.o.r.e, which, let us hope, they reached in safety.
'Looking around me I now discovered, to my great joy, that the boat was full of the finest fish, so, seizing the oars, I turned her head towards home, where I arrived with my prize on the following morning, after a hard night's work, rowing the heavily-laden craft to sh.o.r.e.
'The rejoicings were great, as you may well imagine, when my good parents and brothers and sisters beheld me again, for all had given me up for lost, our old boat having been washed ash.o.r.e the previous evening. A great meal of fish was prepared as soon as possible, at which we all ate heartily after so long a fast, and the old gentleman's condition was greatly improved by the meal.
'Long before the large supply of food had been consumed, the good living and comfort had restored our dad's health, and he was able to resume his fis.h.i.+ng. Being now so much better equipped with the fine boat in which I had returned, and with the splendid tackle we discovered therein, good luck always attended his fis.h.i.+ng and we never wanted any more.
'In the course of time it became necessary that their children should all leave them and seek their fortunes, and only yesterday morning, with many tears, we bade adieu to our kind-hearted parents and started on our journey.'
The young strangers were now all thoroughly refreshed by their breakfast, and learning the nature of the campaign upon which the King and his army were engaged, willingly offered their a.s.sistance as camp-followers, or in any other way that they might be useful. The King very gratefully accepted their services, and before resuming the march the whole army went out of their way and visited the kindly fisherman.
The King was pleased to confer many honours on the old fellow, and, before leaving him, promised to look after his numerous family, and in the future to provide for all their wants.
[Ill.u.s.tration: tailpiece]
[Ill.u.s.tration: vignette]
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE SIEGE OF TROY]
[Ill.u.s.tration: headpiece]
THE SIEGE OF TROY
Early one fine morning, before the soldiers had arisen, the King, in a very excited state, called his general to his bedside and, pointing through the opening of his tent, said:--
'Bill, can you see, far away upon the horizon, that little point of light?' And Bill, straining his eyes in the direction indicated, was indeed able to detect a little flash, as though the sun were s.h.i.+ning upon a cuc.u.mber frame many miles away.
'Well,' said the old man, 'that is the reflection of the sun upon the dome of my palace in Troy.'
Bill, delighted that at last they were nearing their journey's end, went off and awakened the camp with the glad news, and all came running out and gazed in the direction of Troy; and so heartened were the brave fellows at the sight that they gave three resounding cheers.
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