Ericka Houston

The captain took pity

I climbed to the foot of the mountain, and in front of me was an endless plain. For a month I walked across the plains and came to the open sea. I was walking around there when I noticed a wooden boat coming towards the shore in the calm sea. At once I hid myself behind a large rock, and when the ship was near the shore, I threw myself into the boat. A passenger said, "Kick that unlucky thing off." "Let's just kill it," said another. The third man said, "Use this sword." I held tightly to the captain's skirt, and wept without ceasing. The captain took pity on me and said: