My son is only 2 years old and already has a love of a good old pirate story.  We  have been reading a lot of Julia Donaldson books together and he loves them too – the rhymes, the drawings by Axel Scheffler, the characters.  They are beautifully presented stories.  So on this Friday night, I have decided to try my hand at writing in rhyme! 

The characters so far are:

The Captain – A dancing pirate on his ship with a cat and a cabin boy.  He dances while the crew all lie around sleeping.

The Cat – a wise and sage old cat.  He has lived for 99 years in each of his lives, and he’s had 8 near death experiences.  He’s seen it all and done it all.  He also talks in riddles – he doesn’t like to give all the answers away.  On the many ships he’s worked on and places he’s been he’s learnt to speak lots of language, play a couple of instruments, sword fight and sometimes just be a cat.

The Cabin Boy – a quiet and simple soul who always speaks the truth (or what he believes the truth to be).  He’s often wrong but learns quickly.  He’s very quiet and spends time playing music and listening to what’s going on.

There will be more to follow but I just wanted to know what you thought!  Send comments below….

A Pirate Rhyme

A Pirate Face

Stranded off a Carib isle     

Beached on a sand bar for a terrible long while.

The captain lay slumped in a big pirate lump

For the weather was causing a fearful grump.

His crew lay snoring on the decks and below

While the sun beat down and the waves moved slow.

The cat of the ship was laid curled round his feet

And the ship sweated gently in the Caribbean heat.

The cabin boy stood idly by leaning on the mast

Taking a moment to catch some rest at last.

The captain’s mood was beyond the pail

And he pondered how to change the tale.

He knew the captain loved a song

And thought to cheer his mind.