The making of a sailor 9/10

"When I last left this place,” George began, “I travelled south in search of adventure. After many days I was told of the fearsome dragon Karg who was terrorising that neighbourhood and of a wicked witch who enslaved those who escaped the mighty dragon. After a fierce battle I finally slew the foul beast in his lair and taking his treasure, went on to the castle where the witch kept her victims in slavery. However, as I rode forth on my trusty war horse to challenge her, she enchanted us to another world where I had many strange adventures before returning here."

"What a load of rubbish," said the horse who had been listening at the door. "Karg was nearly dead of old age and the witch was quite friendly and only moved us by accident because you were too thick to listen to her warnings."

Only Fern and George could understand him of course. Everyone else thought the horse was just neighing.

George went red in the face and asked for the horse to be put in the stable, so that he could continue without further interruption.

When everyone had settled down again, George told his tales of the other world. He told of carts that moved without horses at terrible speeds, along roads that went for miles as straight as an arrow, of boxes that talked and even bigger boxes that flew through the air.

Clearly his audience didn’t believe a word, but they sat in fascinated silence at what they supposed to be George’s great inventiveness.

“Finally I found employment with a travelling show of great size and amazed audiences every night with exhibitions of knightly prowess such as they had never seen before. Then at last we reached the coast of that strange land and crossed the channel back to England in a vessel that moved without sails or oars “

Fern suddenly realised why she’d been thinking Sir George looked familiar. He was the man she had seen grooming his horse on the Dover ferry. She took notice again as she heard a familiar name.

“There I met an apprentice witch named Jennifer Jane,” continued Sir George, “who was able to return me to this world and so my adventures ended.”

His audience applauded enthusiastically and then crowded up to the bar for refreshment. Fern went outside for a breath of fresh air.

“Bet he didn’t tell you about the tinkers cart and having to sharpen knives for a living,” whickered the horse from his stable.

Fern laughed and went back to the ship for a good night’s sleep.