A Seafarer's Life

A fisherman dreams of being a pirate. 300 words

A Seafarer's Life

Cormack laid his day’s catch of fish on the drying racks. He coated them with salt and left them to cure.

“I am so weary of a fisherman’s life! Perhaps I should sail off and wander the seas. Think of the treasure that could be mine! Think of the freedom to do as I please,” he said drowsily.

He dreamed of being a pirate king who roamed the bounding main. He fought and collected treasure by boarding and robbing rich vessels.

“Avast me hardies, board the beauty, secure her crew, plunder the hold!” he shouted in his sleep.

His ship, The Crystal Dawn, headed for safe haven nearby. He sold some plunder, but the rest he kept for necessities. He began to feel a mighty wind spring up and worked to secure his ship.

Try as he and his crew might, they could not anchor her securely enough. She was dragged out to see and quickly sank.

Cormack woke in mid-snore to find the gales he heard in his dream were real. His drying racks were so much kindling and as for the fish they were gone!

“What will I feed my growing family now?” he asked.

He was about to board his fishing dingy to head for home and face the wrath of his wife, when fish began to rain down on him and it from the sky. Overjoyed, he gathered whatever missed falling in the boat and ended up with a full load. With great effort, he rowed home against the wind.

He never dreamed of being a pirate again.

“Dreaming doesn’t get you anywhere except up to your gunnels in fish! It seems I don’t have to dream to get that!” he said to his friends at the pub after he told the story.