儿童故事集：Jack and the Pirate School Part 5

 Captain Blackheart looked at Jack 1. “Your father has gravely insulted this ship, sir,” he snarled 2. “And one week from today, you will walk the plank 3.”

 
Jack felt a bit nervous after he heard that.
 
“Take him to the hold,” roared Captain Blackheart.
 
Ben the cabin boy led Jack down into the hold.
 
“Well, er, looks like it’s the plank for you, old boy,” said Ben. “Rotten luck.”
 
“I know,” said Jack glumly 4.
 
“Still, I suppose it’ll be quick,” said Ben. “A couple of bites from the shark and you’ll be dead. Or maybe a giant octopus 5 will strangle you. Or you could be eaten by a whale. Or else just drown, I suppose.”
 
Jack gulped 6.
 
“Still, a bit mean of your old man not to stump 7 up the ransom 8,” said Ben.
 
“You see the thing is, I always told stories and jokes about how I’d fight off the pirates,” said Jack. “So I think he thought I was just messing around.”
 
“You mean you don’t want to walk the plank,” said Ben.
 
“I’d rather not,” said Jack.
 
Ben thought for a minute. “Then I suppose there’s nothing else for it,” he said. “We need a plan.”
 
And so the two boys sat down together.
 
And they thought.
 
And they thought.
 
And they thought.
 
Until their heads hurt a bit.
 
So they had a snack.
 
And then they thought a bit more.
 
And finally they came up with a brilliant, wizard plan.
 
But it was so clever that they decided 9 not to tell anyone about it.
 
For the next week, Jack worked really hard.
 
He scrubbed the decks.
 
He tightened 10 the rigging.
 
And he helped Ben cook all the horrible food down in the hold.
 
And he soon found he was starting to quite enjoy life at pirate school.
 
One of the men showed him how to man the crow’s nest.
 
Another showed him how to slash 11 a cutlass.
 
And another taught him how to fire a broadside of cannon 12.
 
It was all great fun.
 
Even Captain Blackheart was starting to quite like Jack. “If you were such a lilly-livered land-lubber, my lad, I’d probably show you how to follow a buried treasure map,” he said, ruffling 13 Jack’s hair with his rusty 14 hook. “But as it is, I’ll send you to a watery 15 grave.”
 
Finally seven days were up.
 
After the pirates had finished their breakfast of dried shark skin and boiled octopus eyes, Captain Blackheart took to the deck.
 
“Seven days have passed since we placed a ransom on Jack’s head,” he roared. “And still Jack’s Dad hasn’t paid the money we demanded.”
 
He looked across at the parrot who was in charge of all communications on board the ship.
 
“Any word, bird.”
 
“Not a whisper, Captain,” squawked the parrot. “They can’t like him very much.”
 
“Then prepare the plank, men,” said Captain Blackheart.
 
And all the pirates roared with laughter. Because although they had been nice to Jack, and quite liked him really, they were still mean-hearted ruffians.
 
And they really enjoyed making someone walk the plank.
 
Jack slipped downstairs with Ben.
 
“All ready?”
 
Jack gulped.
 
“I think so.”
 
Ben gave him a sheep’s bladder from the larder 16, which Jack stuffed under his jumper. And then he gave him a straw.
 
“Then let’s go,” said Ben.
 
They climbed back up on deck.
 
The walking of the plank was scheduled for noon – because that’s when the Captain said the shark’s liked their lunch.
 
Jack walked up to the parrot. He stayed very quiet, then pulled one of its feathers out.
 
“AWKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK,” screeched 17 the parrot.
 
And the noise was so huge, all the pirates crowded around to see what was happening.
 
And while they were doing that, Ben slipped up to the captain’s deck, and re-set the ship’s wheel, so that it would be sailing steadily 18 towards shore.
 
“Sorry about that, bird,” said Jack.
 
“He should be punished for that,” squawked the parrot.
 
“Well, I suppose I should,” said Jack. “But since I’m being made to walk the plank at noon, I’m not really bothered….”
 
And all the rascals 19 and ruffians laughed, even Captain Blackheart.
 
Two more hours passed. Jack chatted to the pirates, and picked up a few more tips on how to sharpen your cutlass.
 
And they were all impressed by how brave he was.
 
Finally, noon approached.
 
“Prepare the plank,” said Captain Blackheart.
 
Jim stood up. He felt a bit nervous now. Because although they had a plan he couldn’t be sure if it would work or not.
 
The plank was stretched out from the side of the ship.
 
And all the pirates drew their cutlasses and pointed 20 them at Jack.
 
“Walk, lad,” said Captain Blackheart.
 
Jack started to walk nervously 21 along the plank.
 
It was very wobbly and he could see the waves down below.
 
But, just a little way ahead, he could see land.
 
Because Ben had re-set the course of the ship to bring it close to the harbour.
 
Jack walked, and walked, and walked…
 
Then….splash!
 
He was in the water.
 
He could feel himself sinking.
 
And the water closing above his head.
 
But then he reached for straw. He pushed it into the sheep’s bladder and blew and blew and blew. And it inflated 22 into a balloon.
 
Jack grabbed hold of it, and kicked his legs.
 
And soon he was swimming towards shore.
 
As he glanced behind, he could see the ship sailing away. And the pirates were cheering his death.
 
“Hah, fooled then,” said Jack.
 
And very soon, he was back on dry land.
 
As it happened, all the boys were coming out of the sailing school he had meant to go to, and so he joined them, and went back home by the first train.
 
And that evening, he was safely re-united with his family.
 
“Good to see you,” said his Dad, ruffling his hair. “Glad to see you escaped those pirates without costing me a fortune in ransom money.”
 
“Well, yes,” said Jack excitedly. “But I had to walk the plank and…and…and….”
 
But all his six sisters were already laughing. “There goes Jack with his silly pirate stories again.”
 
But as he went to bed that night, Jack knew it was all true.
 
And he wondered if he’d ever see the pirate school again.
 
One day, he thought. Just maybe….