WhenIawokeIwasveryhazyinmyhead.Theskywasblueandtheseawascalm. AtfirstIthoughtthatImusthavefallenasleepinthesunonthedeckoftheCurlew. AndthinkingthatIwouldbelateformyturnatthewheel,Itriedtorisetomyfeet. IfoundIcouldn't;myarmsweretiedtosomethingbehindmewithapieceofrope. BytwistingmyneckaroundIfoundthistobeamast,brokenoffshort. ThenIrealizedthatIwasn'tsittingonashipatall;Iwasonlysittingonapieceofone.Ibegantofeeluncomfortablyscared. Screwingupmyeyes,IsearchedtherimoftheseaNorth,East,SouthandWest:noland:noships;nothingwasinsight.Iwasaloneintheocean! Atlast,littlebylittle,mybruisedheadbegantorememberwhathadhappened:first,thecomingofthestorm;thesailsgoingoverboard;thenthebigwavewhichhadbangedmeagainstthedoor. ButwhathadbecomeoftheDoctorandtheothers? Whatdaywasthis,to-morroworthedayafter? —AndwhywasIsittingononlypartofaship? Workingmyhandintomypocket,Ifoundmypenknifeandcuttheropethattiedme. ThisremindedmeofashipwreckstorywhichJoehadoncetoldme,ofacaptainwhohadtiedhissontoamastinorderthatheshouldn'tbewashedoverboardbythegale. SoofcourseitmusthavebeentheDoctorwhohaddonethesametome. TheawfulthoughtcametomethattheDoctorandtherestofthemmustbedrowned,sincetherewasnootherwreckagetobeseenuponthewaters. Igottomyfeetandstaredaroundtheseaagain—Nothing—nothingbutwaterandsky! PresentlyalongwayoffIsawthesmalldarkshapeofabirdskimminglowdownovertheswell. WhenitcamequitecloseIsawitwasaStormyPetrel. Itriedtotalktoit,toseeifitcouldgivemenews. ButunluckilyIhadn'tlearnedmuchsea-birdlanguageandIcouldn'tevenattractitsattention,muchlessmakeitunderstandwhatIwanted. Twiceitcircledroundmyraft,lazily,withhardlyaflipofthewing. AndIcouldnothelpwondering,inspiteofthedistressIwasin,whereithadspentlastnight—howit,oranyotherlivingthing,hadweatheredsuchasmashingstorm. Itmademerealizethegreatbigdifferencebetweendifferentcreatures;andthatsizeandstrengtharenoteverything. Tothispetrel,afraillittlethingoffeathers,muchsmallerandweakerthanI,theSeacoulddoanythingsheliked,itseemed;andhisonlyanswerwasalazy,saucyflipofthewing! HEwastheonewhoshouldbecalledtheABLESEAMAN. For,comeraginggale,comesunlitcalm,thiswildernessofwaterwashishome. Afterswoopingovertheseaaroundme(justlookingforfood,Isupposed)hewentoffinthedirectionfromwhichhehadcome.AndIwasaloneoncemore. IfoundIwassomewhathungry—andalittlethirstytoo. Ibegantothinkallsortsofmiserablethoughts,thewayonedoeswhenheislonesomeandhasmissedbreakfast. Whatwasgoingtobecomeofmenow,iftheDoctorandtherestweredrowned? Iwouldstarvetodeathordieofthirst. ThenthesunwentbehindsomecloudsandIfeltcold. HowmanyhundredsorthousandsofmileswasIfromanyland? WhatifanotherstormshouldcomeandsmashupeventhispoorraftonwhichIstood? Iwentonlikethisforawhile,growinggloomierandgloomier,whensuddenlyIthoughtofPolynesia."You'realwayssafewiththeDoctor,"shehadsaid."Hegetsthere.Rememberthat." I'msureIwouldn'thavemindedsomuchifhehadbeenherewithme. Itwasthisbeingallalonethatmademewanttoweep.Andyetthepetrelwasalone! —WhatababyIwas,Itoldmyself,tobescaredtothevergeoftearsjustbyloneliness! IwasquitesafewhereIwas—forthepresentanyhow. JohnDolittlewouldn'tgetscaredbyalittlethinglikethis. Heonlygotexcitedwhenhemadeadiscovery,foundanewbugorsomething. AndifwhatPolynesiahadsaidwastrue,hecouldn'tbedrownedandthingswouldcomeoutallrightintheendsomehow. Ithrewoutmychest,buttonedupmycollarandbeganwalkingupanddowntheshortrafttokeepwarm.IwouldbelikeJohnDolittle.Iwouldn'tcry—AndIwouldn'tgetexcited. HowlongIpacedbackandforthIdon'tknow.Butitwasalongtime—forIhadnothingelsetodo. AtlastIgottiredandlaydowntorest.Andinspiteofallmytroubles,Isoonfellfastasleep. ThistimewhenIwokeup,starswerestaringdownatmeoutofacloudlesssky. Theseawasstillcalm;andmystrangecraftwasrockinggentlyundermeonaneasyswell. AllmyfinecourageleftmeasIgazedupintothebigsilentnightandfeltthepainsofhungerandthirstsettoworkinmystomachharderthanever. "Areyouawake?"saidahighsilveryvoiceatmyelbow. Isprangupasthoughsomeonehadstuckapininme.Andthere,perchedattheveryendofmyraft,herbeautifulgoldentailglowingdimlyinthestarlight,satMiranda,thePurpleBird-of-Paradise! NeverhaveIbeensogladtoseeanyoneinmylife.IalmostfellintothewaterasIleapttohugher. "Ididn'twanttowakeyou,"saidshe."Iguessedyoumustbetiredafterallyou'vebeenthrough—Don'tsquashthelifeoutofme,boy:I'mnotastuffedduck,youknow." "Oh,Miranda,youdearoldthing,"saidI,"I'msogladtoseeyou.Tellme,whereistheDoctor?Ishealive?" "Ofcoursehe'salive—andit'smyfirmbeliefhealwayswillbe.He'soverthere,aboutfortymilestothewestward." "He'ssittingontheotherhalfoftheCurlewshavinghimself—orhewas,whenIlefthim." "Well,thankHeavenhe'salive!"saidI—"AndBumpo—andtheanimals,aretheyallright?" "Yes,they'rewithhim.Yourshipbrokeinhalfinthestorm. TheDoctorhadtiedyoudownwhenhefoundyoustunned. Andthepartyouwereongotseparatedandfloatedaway.Golly,itwasastorm! Onehastobeagulloranalbatrosstostandthatsortofweather. IhadbeenwatchingfortheDoctorforthreeweeks,fromacliff-top;butlastnightIhadtotakerefugeinacavetokeepmytail-feathersfromblowingout. AssoonasIfoundtheDoctor,hesentmeoffwithsomeporpoisestolookforyou. AStormyPetrelvolunteeredtohelpusinoursearch. Therehadbeenquiteagatheringofsea-birdswaitingtogreettheDoctor;buttheroughweathersortofbrokeupthearrangementsthathadbeenmadetowelcomehimproperly. Itwasthepetrelthatfirstgaveusthetipwhereyouwere." "Well,buthowcanIgettotheDoctor,Miranda?—Ihaven'tanyoars." "Gettohim!—Why,you'regoingtohimnow.Lookbehindyou." Iturnedaround.Themoonwasjustrisingonthesea'sedge.AndInowsawthatmyraftwasmovingthroughthewater,butsogentlythatIhadnotnoticeditbefore. "Theporpoises,"saidMiranda. Iwenttothebackoftheraftandlookeddownintothewater. AndjustbelowthesurfaceIcouldseethedimformsoffourbigporpoises,theirsleekskinsglintinginthemoonlight,pushingattheraftwiththeirnoses. "They'reoldfriendsoftheDoctor's,"saidMiranda."They'ddoanythingforJohnDolittle.Weshouldseehispartysoonnow. We'reprettyneartheplaceIleftthem—Yes,theretheyare!Seethatdarkshape? —No,moretotherightofwhereyou'relooking. Can'tyoumakeoutthefigureoftheblackmanstandingagainstthesky?—NowChee-Cheespiesus—he'swaving.Don'tyouseethem?" Ididn't—formyeyeswerenotassharpasMiranda's. ButpresentlyfromsomewhereinthemurkyduskIheardBumposinginghisAfricancomicsongswiththefullforceofhisenormousvoice. Andinalittle,bypeeringandpeeringinthedirectionofthesound,Iatlastmadeoutadimmassoftattered,splinteredwreckage—allthatremainedofthepoorCurlew—floatinglowdownuponthewater. Ahulloacamethroughthenight.AndIansweredit. Wekeptitup,callingtooneanotherbackandforthacrossthecalmnightsea. Andafewminuteslaterthetwohalvesofourbravelittleruinedshipbumpedgentlytogetheragain. NowthatIwasnearerandthemoonwashigherIcouldseemoreplainly.Theirhalfoftheshipwasmuchbiggerthanmine. Itlaypartlyuponitsside;andmostofthemwerepercheduponthetopmunchingship'sbiscuit. Butclosedowntotheedgeofthewater,usingthesea'scalmsurfaceforamirrorandapieceofbrokenbottleforarazor,JohnDolittlewasshavinghisfacebythelightofthemoon. 
