Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island

by Blake Hoena

  “A treasure map!” Trelawney shouts.

  The doctor flips the map over. On the backside are some cryptic instructions.

  Skeleton Island E.S.E. and by E.

  Tall tree, Spyglass shoulder, bearing a point to the N. of N.N.E.

  Ten feet.

  “It’s Flint’s treasure map,” Trelawney says. Then he rambles on about buying a ship and hiring a crew to go and search for Flint’s treasure. “I bet we can set sail from Bristol within two weeks!”

  As you listen to Trelawney, you rub your arm. It’s very sore. In all the excitement, you didn’t realize just how much it hurts. Now it’s throbbing painfully.

  Livesey looks over at you. “Are you okay, Jim?” he asks. “Let me take a look at your arm.”

  If Pew broke your arm, click here.

  If not, click here.

  Livesey gently takes your arm. You cry out in pain.

  “What’s wrong?” Trelawney asks. “I was about to tell Jim that he could serve as our cabin boy.”

  Livesey shakes his head. “Jim’s arm is broken. He won’t be going with us.”

  You can’t believe it. Just as the grandest adventure of your life is about to begin, something horrible has happened. You look from Livesey to Trelawney to your mother. You aren’t sure whether it’s sadness or pity in their eyes. But they are all in agreement. Going after Flint’s treasure will be a long and dangerous quest. It won’t be safe for you, not with a broken arm.

  During the days that follow, Livesey takes care of you and your mother. Trelawney helps at the Admiral Benbow. You can tell that something else is on both of their minds. Treasure Island. Riches. Adventure. The things that you will miss.

  The days slip by quickly, and before you’re ready to accept your fate, you watch them sail off.

  Weeks pass and then months and eventually years. There’s no word of your friends. It’s not until many years later that you hear rumors about Cap’n Flint’s treasure being found. But even then, Livesey and Trelawney don’t return. Something must have happened to them. Something horrible. If only Pew hadn’t broken your arm, you might have prevented whatever disaster has befallen the men.

  Try again.

  Livesey gently takes your arm. You yelp in pain.

  “What’s wrong?” Trelawney asks. “I was about to tell Jim that he could serve as our cabin boy.”

  “His arm’s just bruised,” Livesey says. “It’s nothing that will prevent him from joining us.”

  You glance at your mother. She nods slowly. She may be afraid for your safety, but she also knows this is something you’ve wanted your whole life: adventure!

  2. Long John Silver

  The next two weeks pass slowly as you wait for the adventure ahead to begin. You still have one item that you took from Captain’s sea chest. Livesey lets you hold on to it.

  “You never know when you might need that,” he says. So you keep it in your pocket at all times.

  Finally, when you feel like you can’t wait any longer, you receive a note from Trelawney.

  Dear Jim Hawkins,

  Our ship is bought and fitted—her name, Hispaniola. Rounding up a crew was fairly easy once they got wind of the port we sailed for—treasure, I mean.

  I found a half a dozen good men. Then I had a remarkable stroke of fortune. I met a man who owns the Glass Eye, a restaurant, in Bristol. He wanted to be our cook. His name’s Long John Silver. I felt pity on him, as he had lost one leg in service to our country. I hired him on the spot.

  Well, I thought I had only found a cook, but it was a crew I had discovered. Silver got together a company of the toughest old salts imaginable—solid seamen.

  I’d like you to go and meet him at the Glass Eye, so you can tell me if you think he’s the right sort of character for our crew. And then join me and Dr. Livesey at our inn near the docks. We leave in two days’ time.

  Mr. Trelawney

  A sense of dread overwhelms you. Long John Silver only has one leg! Is he the man Captain feared? You don’t know, and you won’t until you do as Trelawney asks. If he is, then you’ll have to warn him and Livesey at once.

  The next day, you share a long goodbye with your mother. She waves as you leave the Admiral Benbow to start your journey. You are excited to finally be on your way, to have your grand adventure.

  Once you reach the cove, you search for the Glass Eye. It turns out to be a small place with a large brass telescope for a sign. The tables inside are filled with rugged seafaring men. Their clothing is worn and dirty. You notice some have eye patches and others are missing fingers or even whole hands.

  As you stand by the door, a man walks out of the kitchen. It’s Long John Silver; you’re sure of it. His left leg is cut off close to the hip, and under his left shoulder he cradles a crutch. Despite that, he gets around easily, hopping from table to table. All the while, a squawking parrot balances on his shoulder.

  Long John is tall and strong, with a smiling face. He’s nothing like Captain’s one-legged seafaring man, the man who haunted your dreams. And Long John doesn’t bear any resemblance to seafaring men like Black Dog or Pew or even Captain. He is friendly to his guests and whistles happily as he hops from table to table.

  Then he notices you standing in the doorway. “Hey there, lad,” he says as he bounces over to you. “Might you be Jim Hawkins, cabin boy of the Hispaniola?”

  You nod.

  “Mr. Trelawney said you were a fine, trustworthy lad,” he continues. “From the looks of you, I gather everything he said is true.”

  You blush a little at Long John’s flattery. He is so friendly that when he puts an arm around your shoulders to pull you inside, you let him.

  “Come on in,” he says. “Meet some of my mates.”

  As you enter the Glass Eye, one of the customers stands up. He bumps into you, nearly knocking you over as he pushes his way out the door. For a second, you’re stunned. You recognize the pale, thin man.

  “That’s Black Dog,” you cry. “Stop him!”

  “I don’t care two coppers who he is,” Long John cries. “He hasn’t paid his bill. Israel, run and catch ’im.”

  A large man near the door leaps up and rushes out in pursuit.

  “Who did you say he was, lad?” Long John asks. “Black what?”

  “Dog, sir,” you say. “Black Dog.”

  “Was he one of the pirates that Mr. Trelawney told me about?” Long John asks.

  “He was,” you reply.

  Just then, the man who had chased after Black Dog returns. “I wasn’t able to catch him,” he admits before going back to his seat.

  Long John gives you a serious look. “This Black Dog means trouble, I’ll bet,” he says. “We best tell Mr. Trelawney and Dr. Livesey the news.”

  You and Long John leave for the docks. You find Trelawney and Livesey in their room at an inn. By the charts and papers they have on the table, you can tell they’ve been discussing Treasure Island and the map.

  Long John quickly tells them what happened.

  “Thanks for the warning, Silver,” Trelawney says. “It’s a good thing we set sail tomorrow.” Turning to you, he asks, “Well, Jim, what do you think of our cook? Is he the right man for the job?”

  What should you tell him? Do you trust Long John? He doesn’t seem to know Black Dog, and he’s nothing like the one-legged seafaring man whom Captain feared. On the other hand, he could be pretending. In that case, he might be the man who was after Captain’s treasure map. What will you choose to do?

  Trust Long John.

  Distrust Long John.

  Long John seems nothing like the man Captain feared, but you’re still not sure about him.

  You tell Trelawney and Livesey what you think. “It was a one-legged man that Captain feared,”
you say. “That could be Long John, maybe not. Either way, I don’t think we can trust him.”

  The three adults look at you. Disappointment fills their eyes.

  Then Trelawney turns from you to Long John. “I’m sorry, Silver, but this is Jim’s adventure,” he says. “He found the map. He knows the people who are after it. I have to follow his judgment.”

  “That goes for me as well,” the doctor adds.

  Long John turns to you. A hint of anger flashes across his smiling face. “Are you sure, lad?” he asks.

  You nod, not daring to meet his gaze.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” he says with a sneer. “Good luck finding a new crew!” Then Long John storms out of the inn.

  “What does he mean by that?” Livesey asks.

  “Those men he signed up for our voyage will not sail without him,” Trelawney answers.

  “We’ll just hire another crew,” you suggest.

  But it isn’t that simple. Almost no one is willing to work with you. The new sailors Trelawney does finally hire are a sorry lot of misfits.

  The night before you are to set sail, two of them break into Livesey’s room. One attacks the doctor with a club while the other ransacks his room.

  You find the doctor the next morning. You call for Trelawney, and he rushes to help. The two of you lift the doctor onto his bed.

  “Did they get the map?” Livesey groans.

  “Where did you leave it?” you ask.

  “On the table,” he mutters.

  The table is covered with letters and lists of supplies needed for your voyage. But you can’t find the map.

  “It’s not here!” you shout.

  The doctor groans painfully, and Trelawney mutters to himself. Your grand adventure is over before it even began—because you mistrusted the one sailor who could have helped you the most.

  Try again.

  Long John seems nothing like the man that Captain feared; he’s friendly and cheery. Besides, Captain was looking for a seafaring man with one leg. Long John owns a restaurant by the docks. He was here the whole time you knew Captain. You tell Trelawney and Livesey that you do trust Long John.

  “That’s good to hear,” Trelawney says. “Silver helped us put our crew together. I don’t know what we’d do without him.”

  “And I won’t let you down either, sirs,” Long John says. “Now I best be off to see about my things, as we’re setting sail soon.”

  With that, Long John leaves you, the doctor, and Trelawney alone. Livesey quickly gathers the papers and maps. He tucks them under his arm and says, “Now, Jim, let’s take you aboard the Hispaniola.”

  “Yes, yes,” Trelawney stammers. “He needs to meet Captain Smollett.”

  The three of you head down to the docks.

  The Hispaniola is a stout, three-masted schooner, with one small cannon near the bow. You dart up the gangplank. You’re excited to finally be aboard the ship. And tomorrow, you will set sail on the high seas.

  As Livesey and Trelawney show you the way to your quarters, Captain Smollett approaches.

  “Well, Captain, what say you?” Trelawney greets the man. “All shipshape and seaworthy?”

  “Well, sir,” the captain says, “I better speak plain. I don’t like this cruise. That’s the short and sweet of it.”

  “You don’t?” Livesey replies, surprised. “Why not?”

  “We are going after treasure,” the captain begins. “Now, treasure is ticklish work. I don’t like treasure voyages on any account, and I don’t like them, above all, when the crew knows why we’re setting sail.”

  “We take a risk, true enough,” Livesey agrees. “But without the promise of treasure, we may never have rounded up a crew.”

  “Well, gentlemen, if you are set to go on this cruise,” the captain says, “I suggest we lock all the guns in the hold under my cabin, just to be safe. And do keep that map of yours hidden.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain Smollett,” Livesey says.

  With that, the captain turns and struts off.

  “He’s all business, that man,” Trelawney says with a bit of scorn. “I hope he can sail this ship as well as he can tell us what to do.”

  “Mr. Trelawney,” the doctor says with a smile, “I believe you have managed to get two honest men on board with us: the captain and John Silver.”

  All that night there is a great bustle about the ship. Supplies are stowed, and sailors rig the sails. You hardly sleep a wink. The next thing you know, the sun, all bright and golden, is rising over the horizon. The crew jumps to their places and prepares to set sail.

  As they work, Long John cries out, “Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest—”

  The whole crew sings the chorus. “Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!”

  This is the most exciting moment of your life. The anchors are hauled up, dripping wet, onto the bow. The sails puff out with a slight breeze. The Hispaniola sways from side to side as you watch all signs of land disappear behind you.

  For the most part, the voyage is uneventful. You do your duties, tending to the needs of Smollett, Livesey, and Trelawney. The crew keeps the ship sailing on course. And the Hispaniola cuts through the endless blue waves.

  The most enjoyable parts of the voyage are spent alongside Long John.

  “Come away, Jim. Sit down and hear a yarn with John,” he calls while he works in the kitchen.

  “This here’s Cap’n Flint,” he tells you, pointing to his parrot in its cage. “I calls him Cap’n Flint after the famous pirate. Now, this here Cap’n Flint is predicting success on our voyage. Wasn’t you, Cap’n?”

  The parrot screeches, “Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!” It doesn’t stop till Long John throws his handkerchief over the cage.

  Long John tells you tales of famous sea captains and faraway places. But whenever you ask about Cap’n Flint, he grows silent, as if there are things he doesn’t want to tell you. “Cap’n Flint was a bad un. One of the worst,” is all he will say.

  One night, as you near your destination, you go to fetch an apple before heading off to bed. There is always a barrel of apples kept on deck for anyone to help themselves if they are hungry.

  The barrel is nearly empty, and your arms aren’t quite long enough to reach the bottom. You stretch and lean over its lip, and you tumble into the barrel. You’re able to find a couple apples that weren’t squished by your fall. As you chomp on one, you hear voices approaching.

  “... the Walrus,” you hear Long John whisper. “That was Cap’n Flint’s old ship.”

  It sounds as if he’s about to tell another of his stories. This one’s about Cap’n Flint, but you can’t hear Long John very well. Should you stand up so you can listen better? Or do you stay hidden and hope to hear as much as you can? What will you choose to do?

  Stand up and listen.

  Stay put.

  You enjoy Long John’s stories more than anything else, so you stand up. “Long John!” you say as you poke your head out of the barrel.

  Long John is with Israel Hands and another sailor. They are obviously startled by your sudden appearance.

  “That’s a funny spot to be hiding, lad,” Long John says with a smile. “How much have you heard?”

  “Just the part about Cap’n Flint’s ship, the Walrus,” you reply.

  Long John’s smile loses some of its cheerfulness.

  The sailor with Long John and Israel turns pale.

  “He’s heard too much,” Israel says to Long John.

  “Sorry, lad,” Long John says with a frown. “I truly like you, but this here’s business.”

  You sense danger, but before you can scream, rough hands shove your head down into the barrel. Then the lid slams shut. The men grunt as they heave the barrel,
with you inside it, overboard.

  Splash!

  You land hard and knock your head against the wooden slats of the barrel. You feel dazed and sick as the barrel bobs atop the waves.

  In your confused state, it takes a moment to realize the danger that you’re in. You’ve been thrown overboard. And no one knows—except for the men who tossed you into the sea.

  You’re adrift with only a few apples to eat. You won’t last more than a matter of days. Sadly, you will spend the rest of your short life lost and alone.

  Try again.

  Long John might share more of his secrets about Cap’n Flint if he doesn’t know you’re listening. So you decide to stay hidden.

  “... I served as quartermaster for Cap’n Flint,” Long John says. “Now, you know my side of the story. What about you? You’re young, you are, but you’re smart. I seen that when I first set my eyes on you, and I’ll talk to you like a man.”

  You aren’t sure who he’s talking to.

  “I need to know if you’re with us,” Long John says.

  “Well, I tell you this,” a sailor replies. “I didn’t like our voyage much till I had this talk with you, Silver. I’m with you, as long as I get my fair share of the treasure.”

  “That you will,” Long John replies.

  As you listen, you’re glad you stayed hidden. They seem to be discussing some sinister plan. You’re angry with yourself for ever trusting Long John. Then you hear a third voice, one you recognize.

  “Here’s what I want to know, Silver. How long are we a-going to wait?” Israel Hands asks. “I’ve had it with Captain Smollett. He’s bossed me around long enough, by thunder!”