Share this:
Gordon the pirate was always sea sick. When the pirate ship pitched over waves Gordon’s belly lurched. His insides threatened to leap out and become his outsides. He was so sea sick, his skin turned as green as the ocean itself and he became known as Green Gordon.
‘Aaarrrgghhh!’ he wailed. ‘I’m sick of feeling sick.’
‘I told you, Bucko, get your ear pierced,’ said Sneaky Sam.
‘Ear pierced,’ squawked Sam’s parrot Jabber, bobbing up and down.
Watching Jabber bob up and down made Green Gordon feel sicker.
‘An earring will fix it, Matey’ said Sneaky Sam. ‘When you feel crook, wiggle it. Those belly jitters are wiggled away.’
‘Wiggled away,’ squawked Jabber. ‘Wiggled away.’
‘Sounds fishy to me,’ said Green Gordon.
Sneaky Sam sighed. ‘You lily-livered coward.’
‘Lily-livered,’ squawked Jabber. ‘Lily-livered.’
Green Gordon’s belly pains worsened. He became so weak he wobbled across the deck like a jelly blubber. Sneaky Sam held up an earring.
‘Nay!’ shouted Green Gordon. He lay on the deck, shaded by the mast, breathing salt air. A cool breeze tingling his skin. He closed his eyes. Belly jitters were terrible … being thought of as lily-livered was embarrassing … but no way would he …
‘AAAARRGGH!’ Green Gordon’s ear stung. He felt his earlobe. ‘Blimey!’ He glared at Sneaky Sam. ‘I’ll get you for this.’
‘Wasn’t me.’ Sneaky Sam said. ‘It was Jabber.’
‘It was Jabber,’ squawked the parrot. ‘It was Jabber.’
Green Gordon jumped up to chase Jabber. The ship pitched up and down. His tummy lurched. Green Gordon wiggled his earring. His tummy settled.
‘Shiver me timbers,’ said Green Gordon. ‘Belly jitters can be wiggled away. Yo-ho-ho! I’m so glad.’
‘Blow me down. Your skin isn’t green anymore,’ marveled Sneaky Sam. ‘I can’t call you Green Gordon anymore.’
‘Glad Gordon,’ said Jabber. ‘Glad Gordon.’
©Emma Cameron 2012, image credit
Bedtime Stories downloadable tales for children are an AWO initiative, run in support of the National Year of Reading 2012. We encourage you to print and read these stories with your kids, and revel in the joy a wonderful story can bring. All stories are original and have been penned by established and emerging Australian authors. Every month, we will publish four stories running to a central theme, each on a Monday morning. See here for more.
