Tale #49 -- Ben and Stacy

Ben was just finishing his lunch at school when Stacy came to his table.

"Hello, Ben," she said. "Thanks for the valentine."

Ben was startled. "How did you know it was me?" he asked. "I didn't put my name on it."

Stacy smiled. "A woman always knows."

Ben picked up his garbage and put it in the garbage can. He didn't look at Stacy. His face felt hot, and he didn't know what to say.

"I like your blog," Stacy said.

"Thank you," Ben said. He looked down at the floor.

"I see that you wrote a story for your sister Carol," Stacy said. "Will you write one with me in it?"

"What kind of story would you like?" Ben asked.

"A pirate story," Stacy said. "I love reading about pirates."


PRINCESS STACY AND THE PIRATES

Once upon a time, a pirate ship happened to find a small kingdom on a tropical island.

"This should be easy," said Gilles Blackheart, the pirate captain. "Let's attack!"

The pirates shot a few cannon balls at the palace. Then they got into their boats and rowed to shore. The people on the island were peaceful. They had no weapons. The pirates quickly took over the royal palace.
"Where's your treasure?" Blackheart roared.

"I don't have any gold or jewels," the king said. "My family is my biggest treasure."

"In that case," Blackheart said, "I'll take your daughter. When I come back, make sure you have some proper treasure to trade for her."

Blackheart's men took Princess Stacy to the pirate ship. When she saw her cabin, she said, "What a mess! I can't stay here! We have to clean and tidy it up." She got a pail of soapy water and started scrubbing. When she was finished with her cabin, she started re-organizing the kitchen.

Soon it was supper time. The pirates had their usual meal of salt pork, hard biscuits, and rum with a little lemon juice in it.

"Where are the vegetables?" Stacy said.

"Vegetables?" Blackheart's men said. "Pirates don't eat vegetables!"

"You have to eat your vegetables, or you'll get sick," Tracy said firmly. The next time they came to an island, she made them go to the market and buy fruits and vegetables. She told them to fill their empty rum barrels with water from a clear spring. "Too much rum isn't good for you," she told them.

Stacy saw some pick checkered fabric and told Blackheart to buy it.

"Whatever for?" he asked.

"I'm going to teach the men to sew. We'll make tablecloths and bedspreads and curtains for the ship," Stacy said.

"That does it!" Blackheart roared. "You are going home right now!"

He took her back to her father the king.

"I don't have any treasure for you," the king said.

"Forget the treasure," Blackheart said. "Just take her back. She's too much trouble. She's changing everything. Before we know it, we'll be running a cruise ship instead of a pirate ship."

"A cruise ship!" Stacy said. "What a great idea! Why don't you give it a try?"

Blackheart turned his back and tried to leave, but the king's men grabbed him. "Just a minute," the king said. "Take Princess Stacy with you. I can't afford to pay her dowry, so she'll never get married if she stays here."

"Oh all right!" Blackheart said. "I'll give you a chest full of gold and jewels." He sent his men to the ship to get some treasure.

"Thank you," the king said. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"No, thank you," Blackheart said. "I have to get back to my ship."

"Don't forget to eat lots of fruit and vegetables!" Stacy called after him.

"You did a great job," her father told her. "I'm going to give you half of this treasure."

"Great!" Stacy said. "I think I'll use it to start a cruise ship business. I really enjoyed sailing on the ocean."

"There's one thing I don't understand," the king said. "How come the pirates let you boss them around like that? Why didn't they tie you up and throw you in the brig?"

Stacy grinned. "Captain Blackheart said I reminded him of his mother."


"That was a funny story," Stacy told Ben a couple of days later. "Am I really that bossy?"

"Sometimes you are," Ben said. "But that's not a bad thing. You know how to organize and get things done. I like being in your group for a class project because I know we will do a good job."

Stacy smiled. "Thanks, Ben. I never thought of it that way."