Sometimes he played that large, green leaves were his boats.
“See, Nursie,” he would call, “what a fine fleet of boats I have.
This black-and-white drawing shows three toy boats. The bottom boat has a solid black oval hull, one straight mast, and a small triangular white sail outlined in black. The boat in the upper right is upright, with a pointed black hull, a long mast, and a square or rectangular white sail. The left boat has a black horizontal oval hull and two thin vertical posts or masts but no sails.
They are all painted green.
I call them my Green Fleet.
Do you know who painted them?”
“Did you paint them, Louis?”
“No, Nurse; try again!”
“Did Bob?”
“No, no! Try once more.”
“Then it must have been Tom.”
“You have not guessed the right one yet, Nurse.
Will you give it up?”
“Yes, my child, I give it up.”
“Why, it was Mr. Sun,—a very good friend of mine,” laughed Louis.
Sometimes the boy used chips for boats.
He often put little stones, or berries, or bright flowers on them.
“This is my Tree Fleet, Nursie.
A young child with brown, chin-length hair kneels by the water’s edge wearing a light long-sleeved shirt or tunic, short pants, white socks, dark shoes, and a hat hanging behind them. Leaning over the rocky bank, the child long-sleeved shirt or tunic, short pants, white socks, and dark shoes, with a hat hanging behind them. Leaning over the rocky bank, the child carefully sets a small toy boat made from a green leaf and a twig mast onto the water. Other fallen leaves float on the dark murky surface like a tiny fleet of ships. The water shows a soft blurred reflection of the child leaning forward.
These ships are sailing to the Far-away lands.
They are loaded with all kinds of good things.
How glad the little children of those lands will be to see my ships come in!
O Nursie! I wish I were big and strong enough to go to the Far-away lands, too!”
And it may be the nurse would answer, “So you shall, some day, dearie.”
“But, Nursie, when will my ships all come home again?”
“After they have sailed to the Far-away lands and left all the good things they carry.”
“And what will they bring back to me?”
Then Nurse would tell him of the strange things that come from the Far-away lands. And the boy would again wish that he might visit them.
Sometimes he had pretty little toy-ships given to him.
I am sure when he saw their white sails he would call to his nurse, “This is my Bird Fleet.
My ships fly over the water like birds!
See, their sails look like white wings!
O Nurse! Do you think I shall ever sail in a big ship over the water to visit the strange lands?”
We know the kind nurse would again answer, “Yes, my child, when you are older.”
If some of his ships floated out of sight, away down the river, do you think he cried?
The image shows three young children playing barefoot in a shallow pool of water against a plain white background. On the left, a girl with a white bow in her dark hair wears a patterned tunic. She leans forward and uses a stick to guide a small boat with a blue sail. In the center, a boy in a green tunic and cap bends over the water to adjust a wooden boat with a light-blue sail. On the right, another boy stands upright in a light-colored tunic and an oversized straw hat. He holds a long walking stick and watches the others. The children sail simple homemade toy boats made from flat pieces of wood, twig masts, and small paper or cloth sails. In the bottom right corner, a cluster of smooth grey river rocks sits, with a few smaller pebbles scattered near the girl's feet.
No, indeed!
“Never mind, Nurse! Do not try to get them,” he would say.
“They will float down the river away past the mill.
They may float a hundred miles or more.
Then they will come ashore.
Perhaps some other little children will find my boats.
Do you think they will like to play with them, Nursie?”
When the boy grew tired of his boats, his nurse would call him.
“Come, laddie, rest awhile, and I will tell you a story about a boat.”
There beside the brown river, under the tall trees, the boy rested and listened to some strange story of the sea.
I do not know what story the nurse told Louis, but I think you will like the one I shall tell you.
A woman and a young boy are relaxing outside under a big tree. The woman sits on the grass to the left, dressed in a light, long-sleeved dress with a subtle pattern. Her dark hair is pulled back, and she looks down at the boy with a caring expression. The boy lies on his back in the grass with his head resting in her lap. His hands are behind his head as he looks up at her with an open expression. He wears a light shirt, short pants, long socks, and shoes. The woman gently places her hand on his forehead, showing comfort, affection, or reassurance.The picture shows a large house behind a white curved picket fence that opens in the center, revealing a driveway flanked by two brick pillars topped with decorative white stone caps. The house has several stories and appears made of light-colored stone or brick. On the left is a curved circular section of the house. Red chimneys rise above the roof. Large green trees stand on the left. A blue sky stretches overhead.
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