Let us water your garden Maud
As the rains are far away

 

What are doing Green?

Carving a love poem on my rifle but sir

Whatever for?

To remember the prettiest girl in my home town

 

Christopher Green had been on the island for over six years after being abandoned by the ship of the five towns

He was dressed in rags and had a sandy beard which he kept trimmed by the ingenious use of cuttlefish bones

What are you doing Christopher Green?

Thinking of my Lady Maud sir

Thinking of my Lady Maud

She is from a fine family and lives in a large house on the hill that overlooks my coastal town

I often visit her in the garden and we admire the many flowers

She wears the finest clothes that money can buy and is only seen in the counties top establishments

She is out of your league Christopher Green

Forget this fine girl

You are more suited to the dockside whores

Maybe so but my love puzzles me as I have seen her dressed as a cabin boy standing on the harbour arm

Looking out to sea

She does not wear shoes and her feet are filthy and hurt

Do you approach her?

No I do not want her to see me in my poverty

She thinks I am a fine gentleman from a distinguished family

The truth would break her heart

That was why I abandoned myself on this wretched island

 

Christopher Green hated communicating with the talking primates but he felt he needed to otherwise he would remain totally silent

If he did not confuse them with his questions and jests then they would slowly fade from view

He did not want to be reminded of Maud but resolved to visit her again when he was eventually rescued

He wanted to see her in the flesh and tell her of his stranding

There were many stories to tell

He built a beacon on the highest rock and would ignite a fire if he saw a passing ship

But he was always ignored

Perhaps the ships feared a native trick or something worse

Of late he had abandoned this quest and preferred to imagine his true love frolicking in the waves like a mermaid inebriated

This gave him comfort but he knew these thoughts to be thin

He resolved to build a light boat and sail towards a passing ship and plead for safe passage

The talking primates advised him against this venture but he built a boat and on the seventh month of the seventh year he was finally rescued by a naval ship and taken to his home town

But things had changed whilst he was away

He found that Maud was now married to a rich merchant and had two fine children

The news nearly destroyed him and he spent many weeks trapped in a bottle

But he was rescued by a kind parson who offered him refuge in his church and slowly Christopher grew stronger

In time he decided to return to his island and after some difficulties this was arranged

On his return he noted that little had changed

The taking primates still watched him from their trees

But he kept communication with them to a minimum

For he was no longer alone

As the barefoot cabin boy had agreed to accompany him to the island

And share his chosen exile for the rest of their days