The last leg

"We were sailing through a huge hurricane when a massive wave hit us. Oh why did I try to sail through this storm? I was hoping to get back home in 80 days but that seems impossible now. I must make sure my crew is ok – I need them now more than ever."

Transcript

Phil
Day 73 – we were sailing through a huge hurricane when a massive wave hit us. Oh why did I try to sail through this storm? I was hoping to get back home in 80 days but that seems impossible now. I must make sure my crew is ok – I need them now more than ever…

Phil
Is everyone OK?

Sophia
Oh, ouch, my arm. Passepartout, are you OK down there?

PP
Where I am? Who am I?

Phil
You're Passepartout – you're on a yacht and we were hit by a big wave.

PP
Oh yes… I knew that… of course… a big wave. Let me just get up… oh my legs… right, I need to inspect the damage.

Sophia
Well, Peggy the parrot seems OK.

PP
Hooray! Well the satnav is still working but there's a tear in the front sail and everything in the galley is underwater.

Phil
I'm so sorry. I wanted to carry on through the storm – but I was wrong.

Sophia
It's OK Phil. I thought you were very courageous, very brave. Look we're still alive. We've just got to get back to London, and with the money you'll get, we… I mean you… can enjoy living the rest of your life.

Phil
Oh Sophia, thank you, I'm so glad we found you.

PP
We won’t be going anywhere with this damage.

Phil
We must try Passepartout – never give up!

Phil
I don't know where all my courage and determination has come from but I like it! We are now sailing across the Atlantic – it doesn't seem as big and scary anymore. We've sailed past the Azores – we couldn't stop to have a rest – and now we're not far from the coastline of Britain, but we've run into some thick fog and we can’t see where we're going. I can hear the foghorn of a lighthouse but we are all so tired, weary and exhausted from our trip that we're… falling… asleep.

Sophia
What's that? We've hit something. We're sinking.

Phil
Oh no, look, water, water. Abandon ship, abandon ship! Get the lifebelts.

PP
Quick, set off one of those emergency flares – we need help.

Phil
Oh no, The Mermaid is sinking, farewell.

Phil
We've failed to get back home in 80 days. Disaster! We didn’t reach the pub in London on time and we've lost Tom's yacht – the yacht I was supposed to win and then sell to make some money. But we're alive and we have been rescued by a lifeboat. It's taking us to shore where we can make our way to the station, catch a train to London and hopefully meet our friends in the Horse and Groom pub.

John
Phil – goodness, we'd forgotten all about you. And you, Pete.

Phil
We have been sailing around the world for 80 days… We’ve nearly faced death and you have forgotten about us?!

Tom
He's just joking. It's great to see you again: let me get you a drink and you can tell me all about your adventure but, hold on, who's your new companion?

Phil
This is Sophia – we met her in Sao Tome and she's helped us sail around the world.

Tom
Pleased to meet you Sophia.

Sophia
Sorry we're a day late.

Tom
A day late? You mean it's day 81? Oh well. In that case, the yacht is still mine. A bet is a bet!

Phil
Ahh… well, about that. Your yacht… The Mermaid… she's wonderful…. I mean, she was wonderful… we had an accident… we hit some rocks and sank.

Tom
You're joking?!

Sophia
Errr… he's not.We sank off the coast of Cornwall this morning.

Phil
Tom wasn't pleased to hear the news about his yacht. I was hoping to win our bet. But here we are, with no yacht and no money - and I have to write a story about how we failed to sail around the world in 80 days.

PP
Excuse me. Can everyone stop talking for a moment – I have an important announcement. I've just double-checked our route on the computer and I realised that at zero degrees west and zero degrees east we crossed the International Date Line.

Tom
Very interesting, Pete – but so what?

PP
Well when you cross that line you gain an extra day – that means today is only day 80, not day 81!

Phil
You're right Passepartout – today is day 80. We're on time! What would I do without you?

Sophia
So does that mean Phil has won the challenge after all?

Tom
Well… erm… I suppose so. You went around the world in 80 days – but did you stop to collect the things on your challenge list?

Phil
I… we got them all. Look… Morna music from Cape Verde, cacao beans from Sao Tome, Bourbon Pointu coffee from Reunion Island, a conch shell from… well we don't know where really, a Savi mask from Papua New Guinea, and a pahu drum from Tahiti.

Tom
Impressive! Congratulations – but I'm afraid you still don’t get a prize – that was my yacht, and you sank it.

Phil
It's OK. I don't really need it. I've decided there's something much more important. Sophia… I'm so glad we rescued you… I've grown very fond of you and I don’t want to lose you… I know it's going to be complicated but… will you marry me?

Sophia
Oh gosh… well, yes! You're my hero – give me a kiss.

PP
Oh dear… I suppose I get to keep the parrot?

Phil
Dear Diary – My adventure is going to make a great story. I'm hoping to sell lots of books this time. Sometimes you need a big adventure to change your life. Even when your journey doesn't go to plan you just learn so much. Luckily for me, I've won a great prize – a loyal friend in Passepartout, and Sophia, a new friend and wife. It's good to be home.

Vocabulary: Bravery

courageous
being brave in a difficult or scary situation

brave
able to deal with a difficult situation without showing fear

determination
not allowing anything to stop you doing what you are trying to do

impressive
describes someone or something that is special, large or shows great skill

hero
someone who you love or admire because they have done something brave or impressive