 | There was once a very determined young girl who decided to go on a very long trip. to a far, distant land. She packed her carpet bag and walked down the hill to the harbor. There she looked at a great number of vessels lying at anchor. |
The girl saw big ships and little ships, wooden ships and metal ships, ships with sails and ships with smokestacks that belched rolling clouds of black, sooty smoke. She walked up and down the shore for a very long time before she found the one that seemed just right for her: a great cruise ship with tall, golden sides. A nearby marquee promised that all who boarded it would have a lovely adventure. But no sooner had she stepped onto the gangplank than a man in a uniform blocked her way.
"Do you have a ticket?" the man asked in a stern voice. The girl confessed that she didn't, and he turned her away. She walked back up the hill to her cottage feeling very downhearted.
The girl worked for years before she earned enough money to buy a ticket for a golden cruise ship. Finally ticket in one hand and carpetbag in the other, she walked back down the hill to the harbor.
But this time, she could find no golden cruise ships at anchor. There were still big ships and little ships, wooden ships and metal ships, ships with sails and ships with smokestacks belching black, sooty smoke, but none looked like the one she had bought the ticket for.
"Times have changed. Nothing is as posh as it used to be," the man in the uniform explained when she asked him. He assured her that there were still plenty of berths on the other ships for a determined young girl who wanted to go on a very long trip to a distant land.
For many days the girl returned to the shore each morning. She walked up and down, trying to decide which ship to embark on. Some looked too big, and she feared she would get lost on their vast decks. Other ships were decked with sparkling garlands and had fine bands playing aboard them. When she approached of of these, the steward sniffed and said that it wasn't built for the likes of her. She sniffed right back, then marched away, her head held high.
Once she saw a ship that seemed to be listing to one sided and taking on water. She watched as the crew manned the pumps, determined to keep it afloat. She walked away very quickly.
As she walked along, one of the boats cast off its lines and left the harbor. She waved her handkerchief at the excited passengers and wished that she could be among them. Feeling sad and discouraged, the girl sat down on an overturned bucket and put her head in her hands.
The girl was on the verge of tears when she heard a little bird twitter. She looked up and saw that it was perched on the edge of a little rowboat. The rowboat seemed to be dancing as the gentle waves lifted it up and set it back down. Its oars lay across the seat, waiting for someone to set them in the oarlocks and dip them into the water.
The girl decided that she was that someone. She set her carpetbag into the boat, settled onto the seat, and began rowing. Before she knew it, she was leaving the harbor.
The girl is rowing still. Sometimes she sees others standing on the shore, waiving their handkerchiefs at her, and she waves back. Sometimes a large ship passes by and she must row hard to keep its wake from swamping her. But she is on her way, and although she does not know for sure just how long her very long trip will be, she knows she is closer to that distant land than she had been the day before.
"Do you have a ticket?" the man asked in a stern voice. The girl confessed that she didn't, and he turned her away. She walked back up the hill to her cottage feeling very downhearted.
The girl worked for years before she earned enough money to buy a ticket for a golden cruise ship. Finally ticket in one hand and carpetbag in the other, she walked back down the hill to the harbor.
But this time, she could find no golden cruise ships at anchor. There were still big ships and little ships, wooden ships and metal ships, ships with sails and ships with smokestacks belching black, sooty smoke, but none looked like the one she had bought the ticket for.
"Times have changed. Nothing is as posh as it used to be," the man in the uniform explained when she asked him. He assured her that there were still plenty of berths on the other ships for a determined young girl who wanted to go on a very long trip to a distant land.
For many days the girl returned to the shore each morning. She walked up and down, trying to decide which ship to embark on. Some looked too big, and she feared she would get lost on their vast decks. Other ships were decked with sparkling garlands and had fine bands playing aboard them. When she approached of of these, the steward sniffed and said that it wasn't built for the likes of her. She sniffed right back, then marched away, her head held high.
Once she saw a ship that seemed to be listing to one sided and taking on water. She watched as the crew manned the pumps, determined to keep it afloat. She walked away very quickly.
As she walked along, one of the boats cast off its lines and left the harbor. She waved her handkerchief at the excited passengers and wished that she could be among them. Feeling sad and discouraged, the girl sat down on an overturned bucket and put her head in her hands.
The girl was on the verge of tears when she heard a little bird twitter. She looked up and saw that it was perched on the edge of a little rowboat. The rowboat seemed to be dancing as the gentle waves lifted it up and set it back down. Its oars lay across the seat, waiting for someone to set them in the oarlocks and dip them into the water.
The girl decided that she was that someone. She set her carpetbag into the boat, settled onto the seat, and began rowing. Before she knew it, she was leaving the harbor.
The girl is rowing still. Sometimes she sees others standing on the shore, waiving their handkerchiefs at her, and she waves back. Sometimes a large ship passes by and she must row hard to keep its wake from swamping her. But she is on her way, and although she does not know for sure just how long her very long trip will be, she knows she is closer to that distant land than she had been the day before.
