2. I once went travelling and stopped in a small fishing village
I once went travelling and stopped in a small fishing village. I took a walk after lunch up a hill with high cliffs. I was surprised to see the wreck of a small boat on the hill.
An old man was sitting on the wreck and he was smoking a pipe. The old man started talking to me.
He said, “do you think it is strange to find the wreck of a boat here? The waves brought it here in a storm.”
“Yes,” I answered. “Really? The sea can’t get this high.”
The old man smiled. “Well there is another story. I’ll tell you.” I sat down and listened.

3. The old man said, “many years ago in our village there was a boy who was a very good sailor. He even went sailing in bad weather when other sailors did not. He wanted to show everybody that he was a great sailor.

4. “One morning in very bad weather he wanted to take his boat out to sea
“One morning in very bad weather he wanted to take his boat out to sea. His boat was called the Zephyr. A fisherman warned him not to go because it was too dangerous. He told the boy that only sea gulls could be out in bad weather. The boy laughed and said, ‘I’m not afraid. I’m the best sailor.” He took his boat out into the strong wind.”

5. “The wind was very strong
“The wind was very strong. The sky was black and the waves as big as mountains. The boy struggled to keep his boat from falling over. Suddenly the boom hit the boy on his head. He fell to the floor and did not move.”

6. “The boy woke up on a beach
“The boy woke up on a beach. The Zephyr was lying on the beach behind him. The boy could not get his boat back to the water. The boy went to look for help.”

7. “The boy walked for a long time. Everything looked strange
“The boy walked for a long time. Everything looked strange. He climbed a hill and saw something he could not believe. There were two boats sailing in the sky. The boy saw that the Zephyr was tied to the back of the boats. The boats took the Zephyr to a harbor.”

8. “The boy walked to the harbor
“The boy walked to the harbor. He met a sailor who said, ‘is this your boat? We don’t see a lot of strangers here.’ He told the boy that the storm must have blown him and the Zephyr over the dangerous reef, which is around the island. The sailor told the boy that they would help him to go home. The boy said he wanted to learn how to sail in the sky. The sailor said, ‘it takes many years to learn and your boat has the wrong sails.’ The boy begged the sailor to teach him,”

9. “The sailor said he would try to teach him if the boy promised to leave the next morning. The boy agreed. The sailor put a new set of sails on the Zephyr.
They sailed all afternoon and the boy tried to sail his boat in the sky. He could not make the Zephyr fly. When the sun went down they went back to the harbor. The sailor said, ‘in the morning we’ll put back your sails and take you home.’ The sailor took the boy to his house and they ate oyster stew.”

10. “After dinner the sailor played a song on his concertina
“After dinner the sailor played a song on his concertina. He sang a song about a man who tried to sail his boat over land and then crashed.
They went to bed but the boy could not sleep. He knew he could fly his boat if he tried. He waited for the sailor and his wife to fall asleep. The boy quietly went down to the harbor. The boy rowed out to the Zephyr. The boy felt the wind getting colder and stronger.”

11. “The boy tried to remember everything the sailor told him
“The boy tried to remember everything the sailor told him. He tried to feel the wind. Suddenly the Zephyr began to shake. The sound of the water became louder. The boat stared lifting out of the waves. The Zephyr went higher and higher above the water. The boy heard only the sound of the wind. The Zephyr was flying.”

12. “The boy looked at the stars to help him to get home
“The boy looked at the stars to help him to get home. The wind blew very hard and the sea was stormy. The boy and his boat was safe above the clouds. The boy thought that nobody from the island ever flew so high. The boy was sure he was the greatest sailor in the world.”

13. “Later that night in the moonlight he saw a tall tower from his village. Suddenly he had an idea. He would sail over the village and ring the Zephyr’s bell. Everybody would see him and know that he was the greatest sailor. But as he reached the tower the Zephyr began to fall.

14. “The boy tried to keep the Zephyr in the sky
“The boy tried to keep the Zephyr in the sky. He tried to get back to the sea. He heard the sound of leaves and then the sound of breaking branches against the bottom of the Zephyr. The sails ripped and the boat fell to the ground and is still here today.”

15. “That is an amazing story,” I said. “What happened to the boy?”
“The old man laughed and said, “he broke his leg. Nobody believed his story. They said the storm threw his boat here.”
“People thought the boy was crazy. He spent most of his time sailing the sea searching for the island.”
A light breeze blew through the trees. The old man looked up and said, “the wind is coming, I have to go sailing.” He picked up a cane and walked to the harbor. I saw that he was limping.