Pumpkin and the Ship
Pumpkin and the Ship
by Lynda Keen
Pumpkin had left the Polar Bear and his Mummy and walked on. He found himself near Garston Dock and decided to go and have a look at the ships.
A Captain called to him from a smallish ship.
Ahoy, Pumpkin, come aboard.
Hello, Captain, said Pumpkin. How do you know my name?
I know more than I'm given credit for, said the Captain. My name is Davy, would you like to see over my ship?
Yes, please, said Pumpkin, I'd love to.
So the Captain showed him round. He let Pumpkin hold the wheel and look at the radar and talk on the telephone to the radio room and the engine room. He even let him send a message to another ship with the ship's flags (it said "HELLO").
When Pumpkin had seen all inside the ship and all up on deck and all the bridge and radio room and even the sauna bath, the Captain said, Come to my cabin for a drink.
Vodka? offered the Captain.
Milk, please, purred Pumpkin.
Right you are.
A toast to our friendship, the Captain proposed.
To our next meeting, toasted Pumpkin.
To Leyland.
To your ship.
To health and happiness.
To the future.
To your humans.
To your crew.
To good food. Let's have something to eat, suggested the Captain.
The ship's cook brought caviar and sturgeon and black bread and white bread and wafers and biscuits and sweets.
To food, said Pumpkin after they had eaten and he was full up to here.
To vodka, agreed Captain Davy.
To milk.
Voryu, vormi, said the Captain.
Pardon? asked Pumpkin.
For you, for me, the Captain repeated.
Oh, I didn't realise you were speaking English, apologised Pumpkin. It's you accent, I thought you were speaking in a foreign language.
Have I an accent? asked Davy.
A bit, said Pumpkin. But your English is excellent.
Thank you. And yet in my country we speak no English at all.
Really? exclaimed Pumpkin. How on earth do you speak to one another then?
We have our own language, Captain Davy told him.
Magic, muttered Pumpkin. Magic, he said again. But you speak English as well.
Yes.
How clever.
Pumpkin decided to learn the Captain's foreign language.
I shall learn your language, he declared.
Good, said Davy. Then we can play square chess.
? said Pumpkin.
My language is Squarish. I will show you my country.
The ship set sail and off they went to Squaronia. And sure enough, Pumpkin saw, everything there was square. There were square clouds in a square sky and a square sun with square eyes twinkling. The Captain's clock was square with square figures, the land was square, the whole country was square.
Wow! said Pumpkin, his eyes popping out of his head.
Ymo? asked the Captain, his square eyes questioning.
Our world is round, explained Pumpkin. The sky is like an arch, the sun is round, the horizon curves and all our planets and stars are round.
How strange, said the Captain.
And we are friends, said Pumpkin.
To our friendship.
They drank to their friendship.
