THE

PUSHION

PEOPLE

A Novel for Humans aged 6 to 96

By John James Carty

Level: intermediate – advanced/ more advanced

CHAPTER SIX

THE CAPTAIN'S TALE

Captain Pushion tells his story in rhyme because that seems to suit the very strange tale he had to relate. In addition, he had to read it aloud to all the Pushions on Gathering Day. He knew that they would enjoy a story in verse for a change.

The captain’s tale is in verse, not poetry, whatever the difference may be between these two words. The story, told in prose, appears at the end of the story in verse.

CAPTAIN PUSHION'S STORY IN VERSE:

I sailed often and all the oceans

From Cape Horn to the Barrier Reef

I had big ships and small ships and buckets

And some you wouldn't believe

I have eaten beetles in biscuits

And washed in a barrel of tar

I have froze on a masthead at midnight

But I still love the sea from afar

I could tell you of mermaids and monsters

And sights that would make your head reel

But the story I'd rather be telling

Is the tale of the Shanghai seal

Now the seal it be a strangely beast

With its shimmering skin all in black

But the tricks it can do - and I tell you it's true

On its nose or its front or its back!

It approaches you oh-so-politely

Like a waiter at afternoon tea

'Jelly or ice cream or crumpets?

Tell me, sir, what shall it be?'

We were set on a five-mast schooner

Six months hard out of London Town

And we hadn't had jelly or crumpets

Since the chimes of Big Ben had died down

We were lost, we were sore, we were starving

In that ghostly grey China Sea

We had cried for a light or a signal

But we knew now it wasn't to be.

At that moment the seal swam alongside,

With its little eyes glinting like fire

The Master was dying below decks

So I goes to the rail to enquire

The seal twitched its shiny nose slowly

And stood on its head in the foam

It brought out three kippers and juggled 'em

Like a turn at the old Hippodrome

It was all I could do to stop clapping

But I hadn't the strength or the time

The seal waved a flipper towards me

As if calling me forward in mime

I went to the rail full of wonder

And gazed at this marvellous thing

It spoke - I swear it - in English:

Got a ball and a long piece of string?

I was simply struck dumb in amazement

And I couldn't utter a sound

While the seal sang the tune from the Flintstones

And carried on swimming around

Like a man caught up in a nightmare

I thought I should answer it back

What do you want with such nonsense?'

They're props for my tricks that I lack'

I roared out at it in my anger

'We need food and help from above!'

The seal shrugged vestigial shoulders

'But a ball is something I love.'

The seal stopped its constant progression

And pulled itself up close to me

'Will your men eat some fish if I get them

And follow me straight on the sea?'

'Aye, that and more,' I assured him,

'We'll give all that we have for our lives

I want a ball and the string if you have

them - and maybe some Indian knives.'

Full of fish that the seal had provided

And with water he'd taught us to use

The men were all soon hale and hearty

And the seal was impatient to cruise

Before we set off on our voyage

With the seal in the lead as our guide

I hailed it from over the bowsprit

With one eye on the wind and the tide

We are bound for that fair city Shanghai

Are you sure that you know where it lies?'

The seal almost stood to attention

You could see it was hurt from its eyes

‘I know where it is,’ it retorted

'And so do you if you'd give it some thought

What you don't know is where you are

So I am the best chance you've got,'

Through that grey foggy sea we followed the seal

And at last in safe harbour we halted

Every sailor among us looked out for our friend

For his seamanship could not be faulted

Not a sign was there left of our pilot

The sea it was quite still and flat

The seal was no longer among us

We were all very sorry for that

I went back to the captain's lone cabin

And marvelled at all we had known

The sea has its legends and fables

But this was a tale on its own

The seal was too modest to meet us

And receive all the thanks we could wish

He had gone to the deep,

‘neath the dark moving waves

To his friends and his freedom and fish

A sound made me pause in my musings

A wet sound, quite slippery but rough

The seal sat directly before me

'Got the ball and the string and the stuff?'

I was so full of joy just to see him

And I thanked him for all of the men

The seal, looking shy and embarrassed,

Said, I'd happily do it again.'

But tell me,' I said, 'Of your story,

Of your powers, your skills and your ways'

The seal headed straight for the doorway

for this was the start of a maze

‘I am what I am,' the seal answered

'And you cannot know anything more

You have promised me goods and I'll have them

And you'll see me sometimes from the shore'

'But I never imagined, I told him,

That the sea held a wonder like you'

The seal looked quite proud and disdainful

'And does that mean I cannot be true?

There are more things than me in the oceans

Where all sorts of creatures subsist

If they're something you cannot imagine

Does that mean they do not exist?

THE CAPTAIN’S STORY IN PROSE:

I was a sailor for many years. I’ve been across all the oceans and I’ve seen all the fabulous sights that sailors know. The ships I sailed in, well, you wouldn’t believe how bad some of them were: They leaked at every joint in the wood, they were overrun with rats – and human rats too – some of the worst thieves and cutthroats, dragged from the streets of Boston, Bangalore and Beghazi to be very unwilling sailors.

Aye, those were the days, long before the steam engine was invented. The food was bad, when there was any food, I mean. In those days the humans didn’t know how to fight off that terrible disease, scurvy, by eating fresh fruit. On top of all this, no one knew what punishments the captain might think up next. Oh yes, there was punishment, and plenty of it, but I won’t go into that now.

We were safe from all that while the captain was sick. Our daily work was punishment enough, climbing up those high masts in all weathers. But despite all that, I love the sea. I could tell you of remarkable things; I’ve seen mermaids, I’ve seen sea monsters – yes, real monsters, not just big fish lying on their backs.

But I’ve got to tell you a story today. I know that the older Pushions have seen everything on their travels but I bet that none of you ever met the Shanghai seal. Sure, you all know the seal is a clever animal and you’ve all seen them in the circus or the zoo, doing tricks. But this seal, well. I always think seals look a bit like a headwaiter in a posh restaurant, so I wasn’t entirely surprised when I met this fellow, no sir – I was entirely shocked!

He appeared on our starboard side one foggy day. We didn’t know where we were. We’d left London six months before and we’d had a lot of bad luck along the way. We thought we were in the South China Sea but we didn’t know any more than that. The days were foggy and the nights were worse; we hadn’t had a good look at the stars for nearly three weeks, so we couldn’t navigate. You must remember that although we could reckon on latitude, this was before anyone knew anything about longitude.

Anyway, out of the fog the seal suddenly appeared. He had such a look in his eye and he caught me dead. Ahh! I knew that look! So the seal got my attention. When he was sure I was watching him he twitched his nose like an old comedian and then he lunged forward and stood on his head on the waves!

Well, I’d never seen anything like that, I can tell you. But then he hauls himself upright and starts juggling three kippers. Now, you tell me, where did he find

those items? Of course you get fish in the sea, but smoked fish? I don’t think so.

It was a great show. I enjoyed it so much I wanted to throw him some money. Next thing is, he’s signalling me to come closer to the rail. Nothing could surprise me by now – but then he spoke to me. Don’t laugh! This is true – he spoke in English. I felt as if I was in a bad dream.

As soon as I heard him speak I knew he was going to tell me something mighty powerful: some secret of the universe maybe. Instead, he asked me for a ball and some string! That was the hardest part to believe. I stood there, stunned, while the seal swam around singing the tune from The Flintstones. Even in my state of shock I was glad to note that he wasn’t whistling. I hate whistling, and it’s terrible bad luck at sea.

I had to answer him, although he looked as if he could wait a month for my reply. I was a bit irritable, I must admit, and I shouted louder than the weather conditions demanded. I pointed out that we’d need a bit more help than a dumb or, rather, not so dumb sea creature could supply, especially one who seemed to have escaped from a circus wearing a very old mohair coat.

He took no offence. He said he needed the ball and string – and some throwing knives – to build up his range of tricks. He asked if the crew would agree to follow him on the sea. Well, I was only a midshipman in those days, but the captain was dying and all the officers were ill, or dead. I assured him we’d take him seriously and follow him.

Next thing is – you guessed it – the seal starts throwing fish up to us and we soon had a barbecue going on the main deck. He got us lots of fresh water too, don’t ask me how. Once we’d eaten we were all set to go, but I nearly caused a crisis by asking the seal if he knew where Shanghai was. He got quite hurt about that but pointed out, with some logic, that everybody knew where Shanghai was. What we didn’t is where we were.

The fog was thicker now, clammy, quite frightening, but we could just see him a little way ahead of us and we followed him closely. At last we arrived safely in harbour and all the crew wanted to meet this strange seal. We looked all around: he was gone. I went back to the captain’s cabin (which I’d been using since they moved him to the hospital bay) and sat contemplating. I guessed that the seal was too shy to meet us and accept our thanks.

Suddenly he was right in front of me, ‘Got the ball and the string and the stuff?’ He asked. I was delighted to see him. Of course I was amazed too, but I’d been amazed so often in the last few days that I was starting to get amazed if I hadn’t been amazed within the last two hours.

I gave him our thanks and I was right: he was embarrassed. But he still wanted his things. I couldn’t let him go just like that: I wanted to hear his story, to learn about his powers and, above all, I wanted to know where he’d learnt to speak English!

The seal headed for the door. It was all too complicated. He refused to explain anything, but asked again for the ball and stuff. I tried to explain to him how special he was, how I’d never imagined anything like him. But no, he wasn’t going to talk. All he said was that even if he was a wonder, there were more like him:

‘There are more things than me in the oceans, where all sorts of creatures subsist – if they’re something you cannot imagine, does that mean they do not exist?’

The Pushion People Chapter 1

The Pushion People Chapter 2