Jocko's Sailbot

Words and Pictures by Susan Connell

Copyright © 2004, Susan Cheney Connell, All Rights Reserved

Once upon a time, there were two nice goats named Jocko and Lully who lived in a flat place by the Sea with their good cat Minou and their brown chipmunk Peru. "Oh my, it's Hot," said Lully, one steamy still August day. She took some more Ice Cubes from the bucket beside her, and balanced them on her tummy, for Coolness. On second thought, she picked up two or three more pieces of Ice and leaned over and put them between Minou and Peru, for Coolness. All the Ice Cubes on Lully's tummy slid off, and she sighed.

"Jocko?" said Lully.

Jocko had lain down on the grass to watch some Ants building a Mountain, and he had Fallen Asleep instead of watching.

"What can we do that would be Cooler?" asked Lully.

"Too Hot," mumbled Jocko sleepily.

"What can we DO about it?' asked Lully again, this time poking Jocko gently with her Left Hind Foot.

"I suppose," said Jocko, rolling over, "that we could go out in my Boat. But rowing is so Strenuous and it's so Hot."

"I wish we had a Sailboat," said Lully, tickling Minou's paw with a long piece of Grass. "Can we go Downtown and Buy one?'

"No," said Jocko, "absolutely No."

"Then we will have to Make one," said Lully.

"We could use the old Red Plaid Blanket for a Sail," she said, "and our Rake with the Big Long Handle for a Mast."

Jocko began to get excited too. "We will need some string to Rig the Sail, and a stick for a Boom."

"A Boom?" said Lully Worriedly. "I thought a Boom was a..."

"BOOM!!!" shouted Jocko, in a great loud voice, and Lully Jumped up in the air. "I know that's what you thought, but his kind of Boom is a sort of Crosswise Stick on the bottom of a Sail."

"Oh." said Lully. "I shall go and pack a Picnic."

Minou scampered into the house with her, to be sure she made a Tuna Fish Sandwich for him to take, and some Peanuts for Peru.

Lully put on her Big Straw Sun-hat and tied a gay ribbon on her Tail, while Jocko found the old Red Plaid Blanket, and the Rake, and Swim Flippers for everyone.

"Hurry Up" said Lully, picking up the Picnic Basket and the Beach Ball.

"Hurry Up," said Jock to Minou.

"Hurrurrurr," said Minou to Peru.

"Chuck-chuck-chuck," said Peru the Chipmunk, running to keep up with the rest, as they started off to the Beach where Jocko's Boat was.

"I think," said Jocko, "if I drill a hole Carefully in this seat in the middle, then I can stick the Rake in the Hole, and it will Stand Up Straight."

So he made a Hole, and stuck the Rake in it, and sure enough the Rake Handle made a lovely Mast.

Then he tied a Stick to the top of the old Red Plaid Blanket, and one to the bottom, and looped a string from one end of the top Boom-stick over the Teeth of the Rake, and down to the other end of the stick. Now the sail caught the Wind a bit, and the top puffed out on either side of the Mast, like Fat Cheeks.

But the bottom of the Sail switched back and forth.

Jocko tied strings to each end of the bottom Boom-stick; then when he held the strings tight the whole sail puffed out, and the Boat pulled to get away and to fly across the water.

Meanwhile, Lully sat down at the place where the Beach and the Water come together, and let the water Sloush over her feet: back and forth, back and forth, as the little waves rolled in.

Minou and Peru the Chipmunk romped up and down along the edge of the Water.

"Why don't you pick up some of these Pretty Shells?" said Lully to the Little animals.

Peru was happy to make a neat pile of Shells, because Chipmunks like to Collect Things, but Cats aren't interested in collecting Anything At all, so Minou started to dig a Deep Hole in the soft Sand.

"Yow! Yow!" said Minou, cocking his head to see better, and shaking his wet paws, for there was water in his Hole.

He dug another hole - and there was water in it too! So next time he dug Very Fast, and made a Nice Deep Hole without any Water - for a minute. Then the Water flowed in and filled his Hole again.

"Yow," said Minou disappointedly.

"You Silly Kitty!" laughed Lully. "That Always happens to holes at the Beach. Only the top of the sand is dry; underneath, the Water comes up from the Sea."

Peru the Chipmunk was always a Very Curious Animal, and a Very Hungry Animal, so he had gone to look around and see if any nice Nuts or Seeds grew on the Beach.

"Chuck-Chuck-Chuck-Chuck!" chattered Peru. "Whee-ee-ee," he whistled, all excited.

Minou galloped to see what his friend had found.

It looked like a big round Sea Shell, but it had Eight Wiggly Legs, and Two Big Claws like Scissors, and it was walking sideways down the Beach!

Minou wondered what it was, and he cautiously reached out his Paw to touch the Funny Thing.

The Funny Thing reached out toward Minou and pinched his paw right between the Big Scissor Claw!

Then Minou remembered: those Funny Things are Crabs!

"Ya!!!" said Minou. "Ow-ow-ow-ow!"

"Whee-ee-ee," said Peru the Chipmunk, dancing around the Crab excitedly.

Lully came quickly to see What Was The Matter.

"Oh dear," she said, "poor silly kitty. I will make you a Bandage for your Paw."

So she wrapped his Paw around with a napkin from the Picnic Basket, and Minou began to feel Much Better.

"Come see our Sailboat! shouted Jocko. The Wind tugged at the Sail and tried to pull the Boat across the water, and Jocko had to hold on to the strings of the Sail to keep it on the Beach.

"Oh," said Lully, "isn't it Beautiful! And see how it wants to sail away Right Now."

She and the Little animals put all the Picnic Things and all the Play Things in the Boat, and climbed in themselves.

Then Jocko gave the Boat a push to free it from the sand, and he hopped in, and Away they went!

Away they went, first this way and then that way, flying across the water.

"Oh dear," said Jocko, "this is all Very Fine, but we have to go where the Boat wants to go. The Boat should go where we want to go. I know what it needs: A Rudder!"

So he took one of the Oars, and dragged it in the water behind the boat; then he could steer in any direction.

"I know what it needs," said Lully, and she Took a Red Crayon and a Blue Crayon and a Piece of Paper from the basket, and made a little Flag, and handed it to Jocko.

"Fine," said Jocko, fastening the Flag to the stern of his Boat, "Absolutely Fine. Now we have a Real Sailboat."

"We're Flying," shouted Lully, hanging on tight. "Oh Jocko, it's almost Too Fast."

Minou and Peru stood right up in the Bow, and let the Wind whoosh their Fur backwards, and they pretended their tails were Sails.

The Boat began to go slower.

"We've lost our Wind," said Jocko. "We will just have to wait for more."

"Lully," he said, "take off your Hat, and Scratch the Mast, and Whistle: that Always makes the Wind blow."

"I can't Whistle," said Lully sadly.

But she took off her Hat, because she had a Hat, and Minou Scratched the Mast, because Cats are good Scratchers, and Peru Whistled, because all Chipmunks can Whistle.

And pretty soon a gentle Wind began to blow again.

Minou jumped on the seat beside Lully, and looked around for Something To Do. He lashed his tail back and forth, and without thinking, he brushed one of Peru's Sea Shells overboard.

And it Floated!

"Chuck-chuck!" said Peru, and he pushed another Shell in the water, and it Floated too! Then Minou pushed one in, and then Peru, and pretty soon the whole collection of Sea-Shells was bobbing along in a line behind the Boat.

Peru thought that if Sea-Shells would Float, the Peanut-Shells would, too. So he cracked some of the peanuts Lully had brought for his Lunch, and he and Minou pushed them into the water one by one.

"No, No, you Naughty Animals!" said Lully, grabbing the Beach Ball as Minou and Peru the Chipmunk were about to push it overboard to see if it would Float too.

So Minou unwrapped his Bandage and threw that into the Sea, but it didn't Float at all.

"Mow," said Minou, and pointed his nose toward a flock of big grey-white Birds which had begun flying along behind the Boat.

"Those are Gulls," explained Lully. "They think the shells you have thrown in are Something Good to Eat."

The Gulls dove at the shells, and flapped around the top of the Mast.

Minou quickly ran up the Mast and perched on top of the Sail, hoping to catch one of the big Birds.

Peru the Chipmunk didn't want the cat to have All the Fun, so up he went, too - and the Boat began rocking wildly from side to side.

"GET DOWN THIS MINUTE," said Jocko. "When you are in a Boat, you must sit wherever the captain says, and be careful not to move too fast and tip the Boat."

"Ooooo," said Lully. "Jocko - Jocko! See that Island! Maybe there's a Buried Treasure there!"

"No," said Jocko, "absolutely No. But we will sail in and see, Just In Case."

So he sailed the boat in till it bumped gently on the Sand; then everyone jumped out and helped to pull the Boat up on the Beach just out of the water, so it wouldn't float away while they Explored.

Up and Down the Beach the four of them trotted, and Back and Forth, looking at everything.

"No," said Lully sadly, "I don't see any Buried Treasures anywhere."

"Then let's go swimming," said Jocko. He took the Swim Flippers out of the Boat, and helped Peru the Chipmunk put his on. (Minou already know How To Swim, because he had learned to Last Summer, but Peru was hesitant.)

"Whee-ee!" sail Peru the Chipmunk, a little frightened as the water flowed up and floated him out to Sea.

"Yow," said Minou, and he showed the Chipmunk how to kick the Flippers on his feel and to swim around: then Peru wasn't afraid.

Jocko and Lully paddled along together.

"I feel like a Frog," said Lully happily.

"Ha-aa-a-a-a-a," said Jocko, as he swam through a School of Minnows, "the little fish Tickle me."

"Look at me! Look at me!" said Lully, and with a Flip of her Swim Fins her Head went down and her Feet came up, and over she went in a Somersault.

Then Minou turned a Somersault, and Peru turned a Somersault, and Jocko turned a Backwards Somersault and Stood On His Head.

"Get the Ball, Lull," called Jocko, rightways up again; and Lully tossed it to him. Back and Forth they threw it, and Back and Forth swam the Little animals after it, mostly seeing who could make the biggest Splashes.

"Let's have our Picnic now," said Lully, and she climbed out of the water. She began to set the food out on Polka-Dotted Napkins spread on the sand.

Jocko showed the kitty and the chipmunk all sorts of Fun Things to look for at the Beach: Lucky Stones with Rings around them, Flat Stones to Skip across the water, a Teeny Pearl in an oyster shell, a Starfish, funny little Fiddler Crabs that live in Holes in the sand: all sorts of things.

"Come and eat," called Lully, and they all came and ate.

There was Fried Chicken and Potato Chips and Root Beer and Apple-Hand-Salads with Raisins in them for the Big animals; and a Tuna Fish Sandwich and Milk for Minou; and Peanuts and Poppy Seeds for Peru the Chipmunk.

"If we can't Find a Treasure," said Lully, "let's Make a Treasure, and Bury It."

"We can make a Map of where it's Buried, and put the Map in a Bottle, and throw the Bottle into the Sea," said Jocko. "Then someday someone else can come and find our Treasure."

"What can be our Treasure?" asked Lully. "Not the Teeny Pearl: I want to Keep that."

"Not the Starfish," said Jocko, "I want to Keep that."

"I know!" said Lully, and she took the Gay Ribbon she had tied on her Tail.

"I know!" said Jocko, and he went and got the Flag from the Boat.

Minou found a pretty Lucky Stone shaped like a little ball: he thought that was a good Treasure.

Peru the Chipmunk brought two Peanuts he had saved from lunch: anyone would like a Treasure with Peanuts in it.

When Lully had wrapped everything up in a Napkin, Jocko dug a Hole way high on the beach away from the water, and covered up the Treasure, and put a stick in to Mark The Spot.

Lully drew a Map and put it in Jocko's Root-Beer Bottle, and Jocko carefully tapped the cap back on and threw it far out in the Water.

"Maybe we should make two Maps," said Lully. So she drew another like the first, and put it in her Root-Beer Bottle, and Jocko flung it out to Sea too.

"I wonder who will find one of the Bottles with a Map in it and come dig up our Treasure," said Lully dreamily, as she watched the Bottles float out of sight.

"Um," said Jocko sleepily.

Minou yawned.

Then Peru the Chipmunk yawned.

"We all need Naps," said Lully, but Jocko didn't hear her. He was Already Asleep.

Lully lay down too, and let the Little animals pile Sand all over her until they too were So Sleepy they curled up together, nose to back, and went Fast Asleep.

"Jocko," said Lully, "do you think...Oh Jocko!! You're all RED!!"

"What?" said Jocko, jumping Awake.

"I was buried in the sand," said Lully, "but you were right out in the Sun, and you've got a Terrible Sunburn."

"Minou and Peru the Chipmunk didn't get Sunburned," said Jocko, a little cross that he was the only Red one.

"That's because their fur is dark," said Lully.

"Jocko," said Lully, "what I wanted to ask you was: do you think the Beach is Bigger than when we sent to sleep? It looks Bigger."

"Oh my Goodness!" said Jocko. "The Tide has gone out, and look where the Boat is. It was just beyond the edge of the water; now it is way away from the Sea. We can't carry it to the water: Absolutely Not. We will just have wait six hours until the Tide comes in again."

"But that will be the Middle of the Night," said Lully. "Look how fast the Sun is going down."

"Then we will stay here All Night, and in the morning we will sail Home," said Jocko.

"What will we eat?" asked Lully.

"I will find us some Blackberries, and Peru the Chipmunk can eat the seed from the Marsh-grass," said Jocko.

Peru made a face because he didn't like the idea of Grass-Seed for Supper.

"Poor old Minou," said Lully. "What will you eat? Cats don't like Blackberries and they certainly don't like Grass-Seed."

"Mew," said Minou sadly. "Me-ilk?" said Minou hopefully.

"There isn't any Milk," said Jocko, "but I know what cats like." He took a Napkin from the Picnic Basket, and waded quietly into the water. Scoop! went Jock's forefeet, and there caught in the Napkin were four little Minnows.

"Min-now," said Minou, and gobbled them right up.

Then each animal dug a shallow bed in the still sun-warmed Sand, and Jocko brought the Boat's Sail, and made it into a Red Plaid Blanket again, and they all four got under it, and cuddled up next to each other, and slept All Night...

The Sun was noon-high in the sky when they finally woke up.

"Yow!" said Minou, to say he was Hungry.

"Chuck-chuck!" said Peru the Chipmunk, to say he was Hungry.

So Lully picked up the Basket, and the Swim Flippers, and the Beach Ball, and her Hat, and the things they had found on the Beach; and Jocko made the Red Plaid Blanket be a Sail again; and they all climbed into Jocko's Sailboat... and sailed straight home...

...just     in time...     for Lunch.

Original manuscript 1961