UNCLE PAUL AND THE KIDDIES

Observer, Volume 9, Issue 574, 28 December 1889, Page 14

UNCLE PAUL AND THE KIDDIES

SOME 'CHRISTMAS SEA YARNS

(Written for the Observer,)

' Uncle Paul, tell us a story/ said some young friends of mine— six of them, Harry aged eight, Daisy seven, Tillie nine, Tom and Will (twins) ten, and Katie twelve. ' Well, what sort of story do you like ?' ' Oh ! one of your sea yarns.' I All right,' I answered ; • but mind, the usual notice before you ask questions.' [N.B. — The kids are permitted to ask questions during the progress of the story ; but -before doing so, the questioner must hold up a finger.] I 1 will tell you a shark yarn, which I heard when I was an A.B. on board of a ship going to London from New Zealand, a good many years ago.' fS-« What is an A.B. ?' asks Daisy. 'An able seaman,' answers Tom, the twin. ' We had one gentleman passenger, and he and the captain used to walk the deck and spin yarns in fine" weather ; at least, the captain spun the yarns, and the passenger hoisted them in. One evening, it was my wheel in the last dog watch.' IS"' What is a dog watch ?' enquired Kate. ' Is it the watch the dog keeps ?' ' The two hours from four to six and six to eight p.m. are called dog watches, and your question is an old joke. We had been becalmed all day, and there had been sharks seen, so when the captain and passenger were taking their after dinner walk, the talk was of sharks ; and I heard the captain tell how some years before, in the same place the ship then was, he caught a large shark, and while getting it on board, it caught at the mainbrace bumpkin, and bit it half through before they could make it let go.' • Must have had good teeth,' muttered the passenger, not thinking the captain heard him ; but he did, and declared the shark had thirteen rows ! of teeth. igsiP**' What is a bumpkin ?' enquired Willie. ' 'Tl3 a bar of iron about the size of your leg, Willie, and four feet long, hinged to the side of I the ship to hook the brace blocks on to. The captain said when they got the shark on deck, they cut it open, took out all its in'ards, threw it overboard, and the shark after it. No sooner was the shark in the water, than it rushed for the dainty morsel, and swallowed it, when of course it came out of the hole cut in its body. The shark repeated the operation, and continued I to do so while in sight of the ship. I • Another of the captain's yarns I heard a few dayß after— of a shipwreck this time. We were passing the Western Islands, with light winds and fine weather, and the passenger inquired if the weather was always fine in that neighbourhood, which inquiry led to the captain's yarn. ' He said he was master of a brig bound Home, and was becalmed off the islands ; but one day, at noon, a light breeze sprung up, which freshened into a gale, and at 8 p.m. a sea broke over the stern, cleared the decks, and went out through the bow, leaving nothing in the forecastle but the beckets of the sailors' chests, which were I lashed to the iron stanchions. • All the deck beams were broken, and the ship was sinking ; so the crew bad to take to the long boat, the only one left. In this boat, before the storm, were kept the live stock, also a barrel of tar and a barrel of grease ; but all the stock were washed away, and the only fond the wrecked crew had was a mixture of tar and grease for eight days; then they were picked up by a passing ship.' iS^'But,' said little brown- eyed Lillie, 'we would rather hear a true story.' *How do you know I have not been telling true stoiies ?' Chorus of young voices : 'We can see by your eye you do not believe the captain's yarns.' ' Well, I did think at the time that the yarns should be taken with a grain or two of salt.' Ek" « What do you mean ?' asks Lily. • Salt keeps things from going bad, you know,' answers Harry, which explanation appears to satisfy the others.