The Sailing Ship

A boy once built a model ship in a glass case. He fitted it together with one small piece of wood after the other, putting it all together with the utmost of care. Then he put up the sails one by one. And finally he did all of the rigging and flags of honor. When it was all done and completed he fitted it into a lovely glass case for display for the whole wide world to see and admire. The decades passed and as he grew to be an old man the small sailing ship was still in its glass case. Standing proud and tall for all to see. When he passed away one day he passed on the sailing ship to his son, who was a grown man now, tall and proud. The man took the ship in its glass case from the old man and had it for many years. One day he was called up to war as a senior officer in the Navy. He fought proud and true alongside his brave men but sadly died in battle during the Great War itself. He left the sailing ship to his son, who was his father’s only grandson. The ship had now been in the glass case for many years and he had a new owner, the little boy of his father and grandfather. Once again he was on display for the whole world to see in the little boys room. It had been many years now that he had been merely and object of affection displayed proudly as a work of art in his lonely glass cabinet. But secretly he had always wished to sail the seven seas himself. To be not only an artwork, but also a true vessel of war and the pride of the navy himself. Many long and lonely years he had done nothing but gather dust in his little glass case, alone and always dreaming of the wide open seas. Where he would sail on as proud ship of state. Noble and invincible. The true man of war he was always meant to be. But sadly this would never happen, he said to himself, he would always be locked away in his tiny glass cabinet. A mere token of the ship that he was built to be. With sadness in his heart he stood there still on the shelf alone in his small glass enclosure. Loneliness was his only way it seemed forever. Yet one day the little boy took him down to the pond, and took him out of his small glass case carefully. The little boy had gotten the same idea into his head as that of the little ship. This ship was meant to sail on in pride forever. He gently put it out to float on the calm, tranquil and serene waters of the tiny little pond close to his home. There the little ship sailed on happily on the great open waters. The way that it was always meant to be. He sailed on for what seemed like the longest of time and had a true adventure as the pride of the little boy’s navy. For hours on end the two of them played happily away at war and sailing, before the little boy took him out of the pond once again. And put him back gently in his little glass case. Soon he was on proud display again the boy’s room as his one and only true battleship with himself as the Captain. The two of them became inseparable friends after their great adventure together. Sometimes dreams do come true after all.