Dead men don’t bite.
Israel Hands in Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Treasure Island is, of course, the story of twelve-year-old Jim Hawkins by Robert Stevenson, who finds a treasure map that belonged to the pirate Captain Flint. Jim and his friends travel to a faraway island and meet ex-crew members of Captain Flint, who were also looking for the treasure and take Jim as a hostage.
They face shipwreck, a pirate mutiny, and sword fights. But, eventually, they overcome all the odds.
It’s a story about courage and prudence.
Last Sunday, Pádraig went to see the Treasure Island panto in the Helix theatre in DCU, together with a 40 person strong Caring and Sharing Association, CASA, group and the tickets having been made available by an anonymous donor.
Few things are more Irish than Pantomimes, pantos. They are a great family event each year around Christmas with entertainment particularly for the kids, but with jokes only adults appreciate being thrown in deliberately to keep everybody engaged. They encourage interaction and engagement. You sing along, shout back and maybe even stand up and dance. Oh, yes you do! And you always have to watch the characters’ back: “Look behind you!”.
We enjoyed it tremendously. It was great fun and brought many smiles to everybody’s face. Friends who had not seen Pádraig with his glasses before did not believe how much better he seemed to be.
The day itself felt a bit like an adventure. Getting out to a lovely theatre on a freezing cold day. The great company. The spectacular performance.
One of my favourite pirate quotes from the book is:
I’ve sailed the seas and seen good and bad, better and worse, fair weather and foul, provisions running out, knives going, and what not. Well, now I tell you, I never seen good come o’ goodness yet. Him as strikes first is my fancy; dead men don’t bite; them’s my views—amen, so be it.
That’s what pirates do. They look after themselves. They strike first. Dead men don’t bit. Amen.
In a world where it sometimes feels as if we were surrounded by pirates, this is good to know for survival. To avoid their strikes. To stay alive. With courage and prudence. And a bit of a bite.
Goodness will come out of goodness. Just not in a pirates’ world. That takes the Dreamboaters.
Built a boat yesterday
In one early morning half dream
And it floated like a dream
On those waves just you and me
Is it a sign of things to come
Lets just sail and have some fun
Check out the Dreamboaters’ live performance at a concert for Pádraig in the Grand Social, Dublin, in December 2014.
Hospi-Tales 