The Mighty Sailors: A Fairytale

Once upon a time, there sailed a mighty ship in the mighty sea. The Captain was mighty, the crew was mighty, and their quest was mighty as well. They sought to sail to unchartered territory and, well…chart it. There were cartographers onboard—mapmakers—who wanted nothing more than to draw more of the planet they lived on, who knew there was more but not sure how much or what kind or exactly where. That’s what made it all exciting, what made the quest so mighty: discovering the secrets the Great Earth tried to keep.

In the middle of their journey, a great storm erupted from the skies. The rain blew absolutely sideways in the powerful wind. The rain stung the poor sailors who tried to steer the ship to safety. The wind was so strong, though, and it blew right up against the sail, making it billow out and pull the ship along at an unstoppable speed. The sailors were at a loss and looked to their Captain for guidance. He ordered that all the sails be hoisted and kept out of the wind, shouting above the unruly ruckus the storm was making.

The sailors set to it, climbing ropes that were sopping wet, spitting out rainwater that blew into their mouths, and holding tight against the wind that threatened to blow them far, far away to reach the ropes which would gather the sails. They pulled and pulled and pulled, with all their weight, with all their heart—and such hearty sailors there never were!—and they pulled with all their might—and the sailors, of course, were very mighty—and they pulled until they almost fell off the masts. No matter how hard they tried, the wind kept the sails taut.

Now, with wind that strong, the waves were atrocious, rocking the ship forwards and backwards, rolling it up one way and down the other. The ship began to tilt dangerously close to the water. The Captain feared that if the wind got any stronger, he and his crew—and the cartographers clinging to their maps below decks—would surely die.

That wind came. It pulled the sails so hard that the mast broke at its base, crashing into the rest of the boat and breaking it in pieces. The sailors jumped ship; the cartographers ran unto deck and saw the disaster. They followed the sailors as the ship began to tilt upwards, already sinking.

The mighty sailors and mighty Captain began swimming away from the ship, avoiding the sinkhole that the massive object would cause. The cartographers, however, didn’t know what to do. They didn’t realize that the others had been swimming away; they were too captivated by the sight of a mighty ship being swallowed by a mightier ocean. Two sailors who had reached a point of safety saw the map makers. They had just swum very hard and a very long way, over very mean waves, but they knew the map makers would be doomed without help. They shouted to the men, but the wind stole their calls away. They started swimming again, fast as they could, toward the endangered souls. They swallowed the saltwater and kicked off their shoes in their haste.

Finally, they reached the frightened map makers, just as the ship finished sinking and the suction started to claim them. One sailor caught a piece of wood that had broken free earlier and thrust it at the others. They all clung to it desperately. They swam against the current, against the suction that followed the ship. None of them kicked halfheartedly, all of them tried their best, but they sank anyway. They were pulled far beneath the waves, where the light didn’t reach in the storm.
Dazed, one sailor thought how nice it was to be out of the rain, even as he kept kicking in some random direction. The other hoped the cartographers were alright. He hoped he would be alright, too. When the first sailor had given up kicking and the other thought for sure he wouldn’t be alright, a miracle happened.

The sailors heard a muffled rumbling sound from under the water and began to feel themselves being shifted upwards, floating towards the surface. They reached the rain again, gasping for air and looking around to decide what to do next. But the rumbling continued, and the water carried them sideways as a great object began to rise from the sea.

A woman, a thousand feet tall, with blonde hair and a blue dress, stood from the waves. Her eyes were blue like the sea and her face was strong. She opened her mouth to speak.

“Your ship has been destroyed,” she stated. Her voice was deep for a woman and booming like the thunder. “But your sailors are brave and valiant. They have saved the lives of these poor gentlemen.” She swooped her giant arm toward the map makers, who still clung tightly to the piece of wood.

“Many of your men are hurt, Captain, you included. You will die here.”

“Then, please, help us to shore!” cried the Captain. He would be ashamed of himself if any harm came to his men. He knew a being so tall could see the ends of the Earth, already knew the secrets it held.

“I would. However, some of your men are hurt too badly to make such a long journey.” Looking around him, the Captain saw many sailors being supported in the water by other men, unable to stay afloat themselves.

“Surely you could make the longest of journeys in a matter of strides!” the Captain accused.

“Even I cannot promise such a feat. The nearest land is thousands of miles away. I would need something to help me fly in order to reach it in time.” The Captain thought about this angrily. Why had the great thing shown up if it could not help? To welcome him and his men into the afterlife?

“The sails!” the Captain cried. “The sails were still intact when she sank! Use them to help us, please!” he begged.

The Good Being smiled. “Very good, Captain,” she said. She reached into the water and pulled out the masts and sails from the ship. She held them in front of her. A great flash of light appeared, and the sails were melded into her body, the big mast now part of her back, the sails high above her head, and her arms stretched out to hold the beam attaching all the sails. The sailors and their Captain stared in wonder. A helmet covered most of the being’s head. “Come,” she ordered.

All the sailors looked to their Captain. He stared at the strange and scary sight above him, then back to his crew, the wounded looking worse than before. He started swimming to the giant.
Every sailor and every map maker climbed on top of the woman’s great shoulders and on to the beams. The wind blew and the giant woman blew away with it, carrying her precious cargo faster than the very clouds that passed through the sails.

The Great Lady reached land and saw that the men were properly alright before creating another wave of light. The sails tumbled into the water.

“Thank you!” the Captain called. “Thank you so much!”

“Oh, no, Captain. It was you and your men who made this possible. You see, I saw your mens’ bravery and selflessness. I knew you’d be worth saving. But even I cannot solve problems without the means to do so. You thought of the solution; I only implemented it.” She smiled and turned away, sinking into the sea as she walked.

The Captain turned to his men, seeing many being treated for their injuries already. He spotted the cartographers, off to the side, drawing on the sopping parchment they’d kept in their pockets. He walked over to see them quickly sketching the Great Lady as she had saved them.

One secret unveiled. Many more to go, he thought.

The End.