John and Lincoln have a fleet of ten boats. They made these boats
themselves. They are made out of flat chips. They are whittled round
at one end and pointed at the other. Each boat has a mast and a sail.
Sometimes they tie these boats together, and call them the _John and
Lincoln_ fleet; they call each other "Captain John" and "Captain
Lincoln." They have a big boat called the _Mary_; aunt Mary gave it to
them. The _Mary_ is their flagship.
[Illustration: CAPTAIN JOHN AND THE MARY.]
One day the fleet were all out when a storm came. The wind blew, the
rain fell, and the waves were big. Six of the little boats were
wrecked on a rock. But the _Mary_ only plunged a little. It was great
fun. What, a storm at sea great fun! Yes, because John and Lincoln
made the storm themselves. They made the wind with the bellows; they
poured the big raindrops from the watering-pot; and they made the high
waves by dragging shingles through the water.