Peter Piper was the coxswain of the Peneth lifeboat
In his twenty-five years of service he and his crew had saved many lives
But many others had drowned
The sea is a harsh mistress
He would often say to people in the town
She is often friendly but has a terrible temper when angered
She is a harsh mistress
He would often say to people in the town
On the 5th of November the first real storm of the autumn was brewing in the Atlantic
The skies were growing darker and both the lighthouses were showing warning beams
Peter was sitting in his lounge in his harbour side cottage with his wife Rosie
A long running game show was being shown on the television
It was called
Name that Sound
It was shown every Saturday evening live from the studios in London
Sixteen miles away the Madame Caravaggio was heading towards the Tower Rocks
There had been a fire in her engine room and she was losing power
Two members of the crew were dead
The rest were listening to a football match on the Kiss Kiss Radio
The smiling host of the game show pressed a large button
A red disc and two blue discs appeared
Name that Sound
The younger of the two contestants lifted a yellow card
Two squirrels on a winters path
The game show host hesitated and looked directly into the camera
If your name is Peter Piper please raise your hand
Peter raised his hand
I have a message for you
What is the message?
Near the Tower Rocks there is a ship in distress
Her name is the Mistress Caravaggio
Two of the crew members are dead and the rest are listening to football on the Kiss Kiss Radio
Peter kissed his wife and left the room
It was going to be a long night
I will be going out to sea
The sea
Pray pray
Pray for me
He said as he left his home
Two hours later the small lifeboat reached the stricken ship
It was crashing against the Tower Rocks and was beginning to break up
Peter and his crew rescued the surviving members of the ships company as they dived into the foaming sea
Twenty-eight men were rescued without difficulty
The Chinese cook was the last to be rescued
And over a mug of latte he told a chilling story
They fought amongst themselves
The ship was sabotaged
The fire was deliberate
The mutineer’s killed each other
And the others were cast helplessly into an open boat
Which capsized almost immediately drowning each
As he lay in his bed that night Peter Piper listened to the howling storm
Yes indeed it was two squirrels on a winter’s path
You sir have won first prize on this evenings show
Name that Sound
The young contestant smiled broadly and waved enthusiastically at the studio audience
Peter closed his eyes
He was tired of the sea
In the fifteen years since the Buddha’s had been destroyed thirteen ships had come to grief on the Tower Rocks
On each occasion a mutiny had caused the disaster
Peter opened his eyes and looked at his sleeping wife
He was tired of mutinies at sea
On an asteroid not far from Earth the winning contestant
A boy called Garth
Was enjoying his prize
Fifteen Buddha’s and thirteen bars of gold
The young man was blissfully happy
Although he was growing old