THE GENOESE SAILOR
"Here we are, Uncle Sam. We came early so there would be time for a
good long story."
The old man sat reading his newspaper in the soft light of the setting
sun. He looked up with a pleasant smile to greet the twins as they came
arm in arm down the path.
"So you did not get too tired last night, Joe?" he replied. "I didn't
know but that you would beg me to go back to fairy stories and leave
true ones till you get older."
"Fairy stories indeed!" exclaimed the boy with a look of scorn. "Lucy
and I both want to hear about real people. Don't we Lucy?"
"Of course; we said so last night, and we think so more than ever now.
Have you made up your mind what to tell us next, Uncle Sam? But perhaps
you want to finish your newspaper."
"Newspapers can wait till little folk are asleep in their beds, my
darlings. Besides, I have a story all ready and waiting. It is knocking
at the door of my mind this very moment and saying, 'Please let me out,
please let me out.' So out it must come. There, Joe, stretch yourself
comfortably in that hammock; and Lucy, take the steamer chair and draw
it up close by my side. Now I hope you are both ready for a visit to
another part of the world.
"We won't take any trunks, and there will be no sea-sickness, nor
trouble of any kind. So let us start at once on a voyage across the
Atlantic Ocean.
"Whew! Here we are safe and sound on the shores of Italy. The waves are
rolling gently and the air is sweet and pleasant.
"A dark-skinned boy is sitting on the edge of the wharf and looking out
to sea. He is watching the ships coming into port. He can see a tiny
speck in the distance but he knows it is the top of some mast. As he
watches it a sail comes into view under it. It comes nearer and nearer
until the whole of a ship can be seen.
"The name of the boy who sat looking out to sea was Christopher Columbus.
"He loved the sea better than anything else. He longed to live on it
and make long voyages. He did not know what it was to be afraid.
"As he grew up, he read all he could about the earth. He found that
some wise men believed it was not flat, as many supposed, but was
round. They also thought it much smaller than it really is.
"The young Columbus said to himself: 'If the world is really round,
we can reach India by sailing west, instead of making such a long and
tiresome journey to the east."
"Why did he care so much about getting to India?" asked Lucy.
"The people of Europe thought India was the richest land in the world.
It had great stores of gold and silver. Beautiful silks and satins,
wonderful pearls and emeralds, fragrant spices,—all these things were
brought from that glorious land. It is no wonder that Columbus, as well
as everyone else, was interested in such a rich country.
"There was another reason, however, why Columbus thought so much about
India and wished to find a shorter way of reaching it. He loved the
Lord with all his heart. He had been told that the people of the East
were heathens and that they worshiped idols.
"He thought: 'I would like to tell these people of the One God and of
Jesus, the Friend of all men.'
"I believe he cared more about that than for the silks and spices.
"As soon as Columbus was old enough, he went to sea with some of his
relations. He learned how to steer a ship and how to manage it in
storms. He proved himself brave and daring in sea-fights. He studied
the winds and tides.
"The time came at last when he spoke to the people of his own town in
Italy. He told them he believed he could find India by sailing to the
west. They did not listen to him. He himself could not fit up ships
to make a long voyage, for he had no money. So he could not try his
experiment.
"Years passed by and Columbus went to Portugal. He still had one great
desire in his heart. You know what that was.
"He lost no time in speaking to the King of Portugal. The king listened
to the plan. He thought it was a wise one. But he did not offer to send
Columbus on a voyage of discovery. O, no! He preferred to send some of
his own sailors. If the plan succeeded, he thought he would gain more
by so doing.
"He sent the Italian away. Then he took the maps and charts Columbus
had made and showed them to the wisest men of the country. He thought:
'I will make use of what Columbus knows, but he shall get no reward.'
"He was not honest. That is what I think. Don't you agree with me?"
"Of course we do," both children exclaimed.
"Some ships were fitted out and sailed into the west. They had not gone
far, however, before the sailors became afraid and turned back. The
king of Portugal did not try again."
"I am glad he didn't," said Lucy.
"It served him right," cried Joe.
"We must not leave Columbus," Uncle Sam went on. "The brave sailor
left Portugal, but he was not discouraged. He kept thinking, thinking
where he should try next. After a while, he thought of Spain. He knew
that country was eager for wealth and new lands. He would go there. He
started for the Spanish court. His little son went with him.
"The journey through the country was very tiresome. They went slowly,
for the roads were rough. The little boy sat in front of his father on
the horse's back.
"At last, one evening, they stopped to rest at a convent. Columbus told
the good monks of the plan that was so dear to him. He showed them his
charts of the world.
"They were much interested. They said: 'Our king and queen must see
your charts. We believe they will give you the money to fit out the
ships that you need. It will be a great thing for our country if you
find a short way to India.'
"Columbus felt happy when he heard the monks' words. He left his little
son in their care and went on his way to the court of Ferdinand and
Isabella.
"The king and queen listened kindly, but they could see no way of
giving money to Columbus. A war was going on at this very time and they
needed all their money to carry it on.
"Columbus stayed in Spain for seven long years. He tried to get some of
the rich men of the country to listen to his plans and furnish money.
It was all in vain.
"At last, just as he was leaving the country, some messengers came to
him. They said: 'Queen Isabella wishes to talk with you once more. She
would like to help you.'
"How gladly Columbus turned back! He found the queen had such faith
in him that she was even willing to sell her beautiful jewels, if
necessary, for the sake of giving him money.
"He set to work at once to get a fleet ready. Three ships were chosen.
Their bows and sterns were built high up out of the water. They were
very different from the ships of to-day. Provisions to last a whole
year were stowed away in them.
"It was not as easy to find sailors as it was to get the ships."
"I don't see why," interrupted Joe. "I should think there would have
been plenty of men eager to go."
"Not so, my lad," replied Uncle Sam. "Only the boldest men would dare
to sail far into the west at that time. The people of those days were
full of queer fancies. They thought they would come to enchanted
islands and great dragons and all sorts of fearful things if they went
far away from home.
"At last, however, enough sailors promised to go and the great day came
for the ships to set sail. How excited everyone was! Would these men
ever come back to the shores of Spain? Would they really find India, or
was it only the dream of a very bold man?
"The wharves were covered with people who had gathered to see the ships
start on their daring voyage.
"They sailed farther and farther into the west; now the lower parts
could be but dimly seen; then only the tops of the masts; then they
faded altogether from sight.
"Now let us leave the onlookers of the shores and join the brave
Columbus on the deck of the Santa Maria, his flag-ship.
"Day after day he guided the ships onward and ever westward. After they
had passed the Canary Islands, the men were always on the watch for
signs of some new land. After days, and then weeks, on the great ocean
the sailors became afraid. They begged their leader to turn back, but
they begged in vain. He would not listen.
"At first he tried to keep up their courage by telling them of the
riches they would gain, or the honors their church would give them if
they carried the teachings of Christ to the heathens. When such words
lost their power Columbus became stern. He told the men how angry the
king would be if they did not obey their captain.
[Illustration: COLUMBUS AND HIS FLAG-SHIP]
"The time came when they began to plot against Columbus. They said:
'We will destroy him. Then, when we get home, we will say that he fell
overboard.'
"Could they ever reach home, now they were so far away? The men became
afraid of what might happen to them if Columbus were dead and no one
left to pilot them home again. So they did not kill him.
"He knew they did not feel kindly to him and he thought it would be
best to make some bargain with them. So he said: 'If we do not see land
in a certain number of days I will promise to turn back toward Spain.'
"How eagerly he now watched from the deck of his vessel! It seemed
as though his hopes and beliefs would not prove true. The last day
came,—the day on which he had promised to turn back if they found no
signs of land.
"Lo! a stick carved by some person's hand came floating along by the
ship's side. This was not all, for a branch with berries on it was
picked up out of the water. Land must be near!
"'I will give a large reward to the man who first sees it,' cried
Columbus. As he watched that very night he saw a light in the
distance. It moved. He called two of his men to look at it.
"Their hearts leaped for joy at the sight.
"Before morning came, a sailor saw the shore in the distance by the
light of the moon.
"Children," said Uncle Sam solemnly, "never forget that it was the 12th
of October of the year 1492 that Columbus first stepped upon the shores
of the New World. He was dressed in a full suit of steel armor and he
held the royal banner of Spain as he landed on the island which he named
San Salvador.
"He planted the cross of the Christians and, with his officers and men
around him, knelt down to thank God for His great goodness in bringing
them so far in safety.
"'How beautiful, how beautiful!' Columbus exclaimed as he looked about
him. Tall palm trees were moving gently in the warm breeze; strange and
lovely flowers were growing all around; birds of bright colors flew
overhead.
"But these were not the only things to fill the brave sailor with
wonder. He and his men were soon surrounded by strange-looking people.
They had straight black hair and dark red skins. They wore little or no
clothing.
"'This is India, without a doubt,' said Columbus, 'and these people are
Indians.'
"He noticed the gold ornaments in their ears and he thought with
delight of the treasures he would carry back to Spain to good Queen
Isabella.
"The Red Men were as much surprised as the Spaniards. They whispered to
each other, 'These white beings must be gods come from the heavens to
visit us.'
"Then they pointed to the ships and said, 'The great birds that have
brought them to us are now floating on the water.'
"The Indians wished to show honor to their visitors. They hurried to
their simple homes and gathered grains and fruits. They brought them as
presents to the Spaniards.
"The white men were glad to receive the corn, cotton, and fruits. They
feasted on the delicious cocoanuts and bananas, yet they were not
satisfied. Gold was what they most wanted. When they asked the Indians
where to find it, the savages pointed towards the south."
"I am glad Columbus wasn't a Spaniard," said Joe, who had kept still a
long time for a lively boy. "I just hate the Spaniards. I believe all
they care for is riches. It's a good thing we beat them in the last war."
"My dear child," replied Uncle Sam, "You should hate no one. We may
thank the Spaniards for one thing at least. If it had not been for
them, Columbus might never have been able to cross the ocean and
discover America. You must remember they gave him the ships and money
he needed."
"It was the good Queen Isabella," said Joe, "and she didn't seem at all
like the rest of her people. But please excuse me for interrupting you,
Uncle Sam."
"That is all right, Joe. It shows you are a good listener. Now we will
go back to Columbus resting among the palm trees.
"I am sure you children would have loved him. He had bright, keen eyes,
yet they were kind and loving; and he moved about with the air of a
king."
"He had the right to do so," said Lucy, thoughtfully. "He couldn't help
feeling how great he was."
"You are quite right," answered Uncle Sam, as he patted the little
girl's head. "Even the steps of a brave man must be different from
those of a coward. The bravery gets into them without the man's
thinking about it.
"But dear me! It is getting late, and I am only half through my story.
We have turned our backs on Columbus and left him alone with the Red
Men quite as long as is polite. He enjoyed himself very much with them,
however, and stayed several days on the island.
"Then he took to his ships once more and sailed about among the
different islands which he called the Indies. He thought that the right
name for them, as he still believed he was near the mainland of India.
"Each time they landed, his men kept asking the natives where gold
could be found. Each time they were disappointed. But Columbus thought
it must be near at hand. He never dreamed that he was still far from
the land of spices and precious stones.
"At the end of twelve weeks he said, 'We ought to go back to Spain and
tell what we have discovered.'
"He gathered stores of the strange fruits and grains and rich woods
and packed them safely away in the ships. He also took some of the
brightly-feathered birds.
"He left a part of the sailors on one of the islands. They were to make
a settlement. Then they would have a home ready for Columbus when he
should come again with more of their people.
"When he had chosen some of the Indians to go back with him, all was
ready and he began to cross the great ocean once more."
"He must have been almost bursting with pride and joy," cried Joe. "And
the voyage home must have seemed long, because he had so much to tell."
"It came to an end at last, although there were terrible storms and the
ships came very near being wrecked," Uncle Sam went on. "At length,
however, they reached Spain.
"The news of their return spread quickly. As soon as Columbus landed
crowds gathered to hear about his voyage and the whole country was
filled with joy.
"When Columbus went to court to tell his story to the king and queen
they would not let him stand before them. 'He is too great a man,' they
thought. 'He has gained the right to sit in our presence.'"
"O, my!" said Joe, "I thought everybody had to stand before kings and
queens."
"Columbus wasn't a king, but he was certainly as great, only in
another way. Ferdinand was quite right in thinking so. He and his good
wife listened with delight to the story of the greatest voyage any man
ever made.
"They believed as Columbus did that a short way to India had been
found. They eagerly examined the curious things brought to them from
the west. They ate of the delicious fruits and admired the bright birds
and beautiful woods.
"They said: 'We will have a grand procession through the streets of
our city. Columbus shall wear beautiful garments and shall ride in the
midst.'
"The Indians, bright with paint and feathers, went first of all in the
procession. Crowds of people lined the streets to see the Red Men, the
curious fruits and flowers, the parrots, and the stuffed bodies of
animals they had never heard of before.
"They wished, most of all, to look upon the great man who had dared to
sail so far into the west and who had brought India with all its riches
to Spain. For everyone believed this was what Columbus had done.
"Many entertainments were prepared for the great sailor. Nearly
everyone wished to give him honor. A few, however, were jealous.
"One day while Columbus was at a dinner party given in his honor one of
the king's courtiers said:
"'It was not a hard thing to do what this Italian has done. Anyone else
might have done the same thing.'
"Of course the man said this because he was jealous and did not like to
see so much attention given to a poor sailor from Italy.
"Columbus did not seem troubled at this man's words. He took an egg
from the table and handed it to the speaker. Then he said:
"'Can you make that egg stand on end?'
"The man tried, but could not do it. It was passed from one person to
another. Everyone failed. At last it came back to Columbus. He took it
in his hand and struck it gently on the table so that the shell was
slightly cracked. Then, taking away his hand, he left it standing on end.
"'It is easy enough for anyone to do that,' cried the courtier.
"'It is also easy for anyone to find the Indies after I have shown the
way,' was the reply of Columbus.
"Not long after this the great man made ready for another voyage across
the ocean.
"How different everything was now! There was no trouble now to find
sailors willing to go with him. Indeed, it was almost too easy.
Everyone was anxious to visit the Indies. They believed it was the
quickest way to gain riches and comfort.
"When the second fleet was ready to sail there were seventeen ships and
fifteen hundred men. Only think of it! It was almost like a traveling
city.
"They had no trouble in crossing the ocean, but when they came to the
island where Columbus had before left a part of his men, there was no
sign of them nor of the homes they had made.
"'This time I will choose a different place to settle,' said Columbus.
"He sailed into a fine harbor about forty miles away. The men landed
and began to build the first city of the New World for white people to
live in. They called it Isabella after the good queen of Spain.
"Columbus spent some time as governor of the settlement. Then he went
back to Spain with news of the white men's city in the west. He did not
stay long, however. He was soon restless for a third voyage across the
great ocean.
"He sailed farther to the southward than he had before. For the first
time he saw the shores of South America. Then he went back to the
settlement in the West Indies, but the people were not glad to see him."
Uncle Sam stopped for a moment and looked quite sad.
"Children," he said, "I must tell the truth and say that Columbus was
not as good a governor as he was a sailor. It would have been hard work
for anyone to rule his people, for they had to work hard and they were
not satisfied because gold was not plentiful.
"'It is not what we expected,' they cried angrily. 'We thought you
would bring us to a land filled with gold and diamonds.'
"Some of them even whispered among themselves, 'Columbus is not what he
pretends to be. He has cheated us badly.'
"At last they declared they would not let him stay there any longer.
They put chains upon him and sent him back to Spain."
Uncle Sam took a picture from the table drawer.
"Look at Columbus now," said the old man. "There he sits on the deck of
the ship with heavy chains bound on his arms like one who has done a
great wrong. Yet he gave a whole continent to the people who put them
on him.
"'I will take off your chains,' said the kind-hearted captain of the
ship. It is a shame for you to wear them.'
"'No, no. Let them remain,' answered Columbus. I will wear them as a
token of the kindness of princes.'
"How different was his third landing in Spain! This time there were no
crowds waiting to show him honor. He was carried before the queen, who
wept in pity at the sight of her old friend in chains. The brave man
now broke down. As he tried to tell his story his words were choked
with sobs.
"Isabella did not desert him, however. She helped him to fit out
another fleet and he started on his last voyage. He sailed among other
islands of the West Indies and returned to Spain after a great deal of
suffering. He was sick and poor. There were many who once could not do
too much for him but who now mocked him.
"He died with the belief that he had found a short way to India. He had
no thought of what he had really discovered. It is a shame he did not
get the honor he deserved."
Uncle Sam rose suddenly from his arm chair and began to walk up and
down the room. "Yes, it is a shame. A burning shame. Children, let us
sing 'Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean.'"
The old man turned to the little organ at one side of the room. In
a moment the house was filled with the voices of Uncle Sam and his
two young friends. When the song was over, the children kissed him
good-night and started for home.