Polly Brown

by Tricia Bennett

  The boat headed for the shore, and Polly reluctantly disembarked onto the wharf. As she jumped ashore, she suddenly realized that she had no shoes on her feet, and it dawned on her that she was also missing the jumper given to her by Morag as well as her most precious gold-covered book with the map safely tucked inside; in fact she was missing her schoolbag with all her precious belongings. Suddenly her thoughts turned to the worst loss of all. She gulped, as tears instantly sprang to her eyes, for she was shocked to realize that she had also lost her beloved Langdon, for she had left him on the beach to watch over her possessions. Polly felt truly dismayed. The lifeboat was just about to leave the quayside, with the last ropes having been pulled in, thereby releasing the vessel from its mooring, when Captain Codswallop suddenly ordered the crew to stop.

  “Wait here,” he commanded them as he leapt from the vessel onto the quayside. He then ran towards Polly. “Here, Polly, I almost forgot to give you these back to you,” he said as he handed over her schoolbag and her elephant.

  Polly felt instantly relieved and on the verge of tears, only this time out of sheer gratitude towards Captain Codswallop and his crew.

  “I sent one of my men ashore in our rowing boat to get your things,” he said with a twinkle in his eye as he gave her the warmest of smiles. “We also hand-washed your schoolbag as it was stinky and full of sand and seaweed. Oh, and I hope you don’t mind that we also gave your elephant a quick hose down, as he was also smelling a bit iffy!” he chortled.

  “Dear Captain, How come you knew I had left all my possessions on the beach?” she quizzed, anxious for an immediate answer.

  “Well, not many young ladies take to the sea fully clothed, and might I add without any shoes on their feet,” he said as both of them automatically looked down at her bare feet.

  The captain then produced her shoes, which he had been hiding behind his back. Polly laughed as she took her shoes from him, and after placing them back on her feet, she gave the wonderful, kind captain a bear hug, which was rapidly becoming known as a Polly hug. The captain thought he was never going to be released from her grip as she clung to him for so long. Finally Polly’s lengthy embrace came to an end, and she let go of him. She then stood on the quayside with Langdon under one arm, waving and blowing kisses to the crew of the lifeboat. The crew returned the gesture, blowing a lot of kisses back in her direction as they set sail on another rescue mission. Polly giggled as she watched some of the crew almost topple overboard as they continued to wave good-bye while climbing up the mast.

  With the lifeboat having disappeared into the sunset, Polly went in search of a bench so that she could check the contents of her schoolbag, just to make sure she still had everything. She pulled out the jumper Morag had lent her, for the day was drawing to a close and she did not wish to catch a cold. She was also hungry enough to try one of Ralph’s stale cakes. As she pulled out the cake bag, a small, smooth stone dropped to the ground. Polly leaned over and picked it up. It had the word courage cut deeply into its otherwise-smooth surface. Polly thought this strange until, upon peering into the bag again, she discovered a little note. It was from Captain Codswallop.

  My dear Polly,

  I hope by now you have fully recovered from your ordeal, although I need to warn you that you may feel a bit weepy in the days to come. This will be due to the shock of experiencing a near-drowning. Don’t worry. Given time, this will pass.

  I have to say that my crew were very taken with you, and therefore they wanted to leave you with something to remember us by. We unanimously agreed that, though you were so reluctant to consider a medal for your bravery, we would make it our business to ensure that you got one anyway. So when I sent one of my men to pick up your belonging’s from the beach he also went in search of a smooth pebble to carve out the word courage. As far as we, the crew of the lifeboat, are concerned, you have your medal. Please keep it in remembrance of your special time with us. Take care and God bless you.

  Much love,

  Polly gazed at the pebble and couldn’t help but smile. She then proceeded to eat a number of the stale cakes that, for some reason, seemed anything but stale, but as though they had just been freshly baked. Once her hunger was satisfied, she poked around in her carrier bag for her gold book, for she felt compelled to record all the unusual and rather dramatic events that had befallen her. She pulled out a pen from her pocket and then turned to the next fresh page in her personalized diary. However, this time round she wasn’t the least bit surprised to discover that her newest adventures had already been added to her diary. And, I might add, not by her fair hand.

  The princess, with Langdon safely by her side, took the red number seven bus that travels along the coastal route before getting off at Banana Bay, a most delightful sandy bay if ever there was one! After scrutinizing her map to see where she was next headed, she chose to consult with Langdon on whether to press on or use this opportunity to take a well-earned break. After much thought and great deliberation, she wrongly decided to sidetrack from her most important journey and take time out with Langdon to go down onto the beach to sunbathe and build sandcastles together, a decision that would most certainly cost her dearly. Yes, that most impulsive of decisions almost cost the princess her life and Langdon’s as well. For he was such a scruffy little elephant that any conscientious person, upon reading one of the many posters saying Keep Britain Tidy would certainly not have thought twice about binning him! Alternatively, he might well have suffered severe sunstroke as he sat for many hours on the beach guarding her personal possessions. Worst of all, he could well have been washed out to sea with the tide, only to find himself becoming a lunch snack for a mighty whale with an especially huge appetite for abandoned blue elephants! And all this for half a day’s leisure! However, even though this impromptu break was not part of the original plan, it still worked for the good, for it gave Polly the chance to discover the gift of great courage that had been deposited deep within her. It also opened her eyes to how blind and selfish others around her could be at times, thinking only of themselves and preferring to ignore the plight of others in deep need. The princess learned many painful lessons that day, lessons that, if remembered, would save her much future grief. Once she was reunited with Langdon, the princess felt happy and grateful to be alive, thanks to the rather splendid efforts of Captain Codswallop and his delightful crew. She even admitted to herself that she was now feeling very positive about carrying on her journey to Piadora to have tea and cakes with Ralph and Hodgekiss, her ragamuffin friends.

  Polly shut her gold-covered book and returned it to the safety of her schoolbag before taking out her folded map, which she then began to study closely. She now felt a real sense of urgency to reach her destination as quickly as possible before any further embarrassing incidents occurred. She therefore determined to set off first thing in the morning, as soon as the sun rose. Curling up on the bench with Langdon close at her side, Polly pretty quickly fell into a deep slumber.

  Chapter 19

  THE VALLEY OF LOST SOULS

  POLLY AWOKE EARLY to the cheery sound of birds singing, and after straightening the crumpled smock that went over her dress, she stood up to have a good stretch before giving Langdon his usual good-morning kiss. Then with her schoolbag on her shoulder she said good-bye to Banana Bay and its quaint little town filled with whitewashed fisherman cottages, and headed out into the open countryside.

  She walked for many hours, humming the tunes of her favorite songs as she strolled along with seemingly not a care in the world. This contented state of being was not to last for too long, for soon she found herself well off the beaten track and feeling very lost. She quickly decided that she must have taken a wrong turn, so she stopped and pulled out her map to check that all was well. But rather sadly she discovered that she was unable to confirm her exact position, as she was unable to understand or recognize any of the identification symbols that usually act as a useful aid.

  Feeling helpless as well as ho
peless, she decided to simply follow her instincts and carry on down the long, meandering, dusty lane and then down further through a valley before trudging up and over a very steep hill. If she had felt lost before, she now felt as thoroughly lost as anyone could ever be. Luckily she spied a signpost not far away in the distance. She raced toward it, feeling totally convinced that this signpost would be her salvation and get her out of this sticky mess by showing her the direction she needed to take. Polly stood directly under the sign, which hung on a tall pole. She looked upwards to read it and became very concerned that she had never seen or heard of any such place before. The sign said Welcome to the Valley of Lost Souls. Underneath in smaller writing it said: “Only careful and considerate drivers welcome in this desert.”

  “Desert!” shouted Polly, “Goodness gracious me, then I really am as lost as lost can be, for there is absolutely no mention of a desert of any description on my little map,” she groaned.

  Polly felt most alarmed as to why anyone would want to call a place by such a peculiar and most worrying name. And as she considered its strange name, “Valley of Lost Souls,” she shuddered, for she could only hope that it didn’t mean that she, too, was destined to become one of those already lost forever! She did admit to herself that most of the time she felt very lost indeed, but she had rather hoped that this extraordinary journey to Piadora would bring to an end all such soul-searching. Then she would find herself becoming free of the inner torment and feelings of hopelessness that took great liberties by making their home in her heart, troubling her constantly as they acted like landlords demanding blood for their money.

  The sun was beating down hard on Polly’s back, making her feel uncomfortably hot and sticky. So she sat down on a rock with Langdon and wiped away the beads of perspiration that were trickling down her forehead. She felt quite tired and drained of energy. She was also thirsty, for she had been walking for many hours. As her eyes scanned the horizon, she thought she could see a lake. She felt instantly encouraged, for this meant that she and Langdon could have a quick swim and possibly a drink as well. Leaping up from the rock, she raced as fast as her legs would allow toward the lake. Pretty soon she was clean out of breath, but as she looked around, she found herself very shocked to discover that there was no lake and therefore no water to be found. It was purely a mirage! Gasping for breath and feeling very distressed, she slumped down onto her knees and buried her head in her hands.

  Polly did not stay on her knees for too long because she realized that her need of water was becoming urgent, so she had little choice but to trudge on. By noon, the sun was at its fiercest as it continued, most provocatively, to stalk her, and yet she still struggled along hoping against all odds to find a shelter. Later that same day her feet broke out into painful blisters and her face also began to peel due to pretty serious sunburn. But there was worse to come since it was only a short while before her need for water went from urgent to critical and her tongue began to cleave to the roof of her mouth. With still no water in sight, she walked on like a haunted man with swollen eyes, cracked lips, and her face and hands like dried out leather.

  Polly had no other choice but to continue walking in the forlorn hope that at some point she would either reach a landmark that could help her or people and houses that might be willing to provide her with some food and shelter. But it was not to be.

  Eventually, it began to get dark, and with the dark came extreme cold as the desert temperature plummeted to well below freezing. And still Polly stumbled along like a dead man, staring straight ahead as though she were some sort of battery-operated robot who perfunctorily zig-zags around in circles until its energy source finally runs out.

  And so it was well into the night before she found herself in the middle of a large canyon with huge mountainous rocks on either side. Groping her way toward a mountain, she happened perchance to discover a small cave where she could take refuge from the harsh cold. She cautiously entered the cave, clutching Langdon very close. It was pitch-black inside, but she thought she could hear the sound of water trickling, or rather, dripping like a tap, though she was much too scared to investigate where it was coming from. Besides which, she could only see as far as the end of her nose.

  “Thank goodness it’s empty. Let’s hope this place is safe,” she said to Langdon, jumping slightly as the sound of her voice echoing through the cave gave her more reason than ever to feel anxious and afraid. Polly then collapsed on the ground and, with Langdon at her side, fell fast asleep.

  When she finally woke up she rubbed her eyes, for the sun was pouring into the cave almost blinding her with its brightness. Polly yawned and felt instant pain from deep within her parched throat, and she immediately realized that her need to find water was now crucial, so she headed deeper into the cave until she came across a wet rock. Looking up, she noticed droplets of water dripping down onto the rock, so she held out a cupped hand until it became filled and then with the deepest gratitude she had ever experienced, she brought her lips down into her cupped hands and lapped up the water with her tongue. Polly had to do this a number of times as the drips were quite slow in coming, but she did not care. She was prepared to be patient and stand with her hands cupped for as long as it took, just for the privilege of collecting the water to quench her thirst.

  Finally her thirst was satisfied, so she headed back to where she had left Langdon and all her other worldly possessions. She pondered as to whether to continue on with her journey or stay in the cave until help finally arrived. But then she panicked as she thought to herself that she was probably being overly optimistic as far as being rescued was concerned. I mean, was there ever going to be a search party, especially when she had never disclosed to anyone her intention to leave? And she certainly could not rely on her guardians to alert the police of her absence, for they went to considerable lengths to cover up all mishaps that happened at the castle. To cap it all, she was lost in the middle of a dusty desert, which could mean weeks, months, or even years before she was finally found.

  As Polly pondered such a dreadful fate, she shuddered, the images of her mummified body—complete with hollow eye sockets and a dried-up tongue—flashing before her very eyes. It seemed a most unpleasant, if not thoroughly disagreeable, way in which to end her life. So after much agonizing over what was to become of her, it became crystal clear that she must move on, and the sooner the better.

  Polly picked up Langdon and gathered up her possessions, leaving the cool of the cave to stagger back out into the blazing heat of the desert once again. She staggered and stumbled, then staggered some more as she struggled to remain upright due to the intense heat of the sun that was beating down hard on her back. As she climbed over one sand dune after another, she could only further despair, for as far as her eye could see, there was nothing ahead but more desert. She had tried faithfully to follow the route on her map, but with only sand, followed by more jolly sand, she wondered whether she was just going around in circles. The situation was rapidly turning into yet another rather desperate crisis.

  On the verge of collapsing through heat stroke and exhaustion, Polly was then to have her worst fears confirmed. Upon looking straight ahead she discovered that she was back at the cave, and had, as she suspected, just been going round and round in circles. She wanted to scream, but her mouth was so dry and her throat so swollen that no noise would come forth from her lips. She headed deep into the cave in search of the dripping water to alleviate her parched throat that felt like sandpaper. This done, she headed back to the cave entrance, and once more sat down to weep. And as she wept, she asked herself a very familiar question: “Why was everything in life such a struggle? Surely she was entitled to have a few things go right for her. I mean, that couldn’t be seen as unreasonable, could it?”

  Polly sat for many hours with what seemed like a black cloud hanging over her, as tormenting thoughts invaded her mind with just about every unfair event that had ever happened to her. It was not too long before she beg
an to feel angry and very frustrated, so much so that, despite her very swollen throat and tongue, she stood up and attempted to let out a yell as she stamped her feet in the dust. All this achieved was to send clouds of dust into the air above her, which, once breathed in, caused her to immediately start choking.

  “I can’t get anything right, can I?” she raged in little more than a hoarse whisper. “I am a complete waste of space, a blob that someone ought to stamp on and then scrape from the bottom of their shoe. I hate my life, and I hate Ralph for giving me false hope. I also hate Hodgekiss for inviting me to tea. It’s probably just some stupid joke anyway, and as usual the last laugh will be on me.”

  She was so furious and angry with just about everything in life that she temporarily abandoned all self-control, and without thinking she flung poor innocent Langdon into the air as far as she could. She watched on horrified by her actions as a very dizzy Langdon spun round and round in the air before coming to land with a hard thump on the sand, squashing his long trunk as he did so.

  “What have I done?” Polly mumbled as she raced over to where he lay, dazed on the ground. Polly frantically brushed off all the sand that was now in his eyes and sticking to his hot, furry body. “Oh, Langdon, I’m so, so sorry. I don’t know what came over me! Honest, I don’t. I am just so mad at myself for ever having agreed to go on this ridiculous quest in the first place. If I knew how to get out of this horrid dustbowl and go home, then I would, whatever the consequences,” she whispered in his ear. “I would not care what Uncle Boritz and Aunt Mildred did to me, for they have taken away my life anyway. I feel like a helpless, hopeless, dead man walking, hollow and empty, and with no hope for my future. So please forgive me, Langdon, for I now feel really terrible.”