"The Blind Parrot

Near the waters edge in a small, Cape Cod fishing village there is an old ale house that served
lobster,  that had stood there since the mid sixteenth century. Some say there was an even earlier Inn on the site, but that it burned down during a raid by the local pirates. The name of the ale house was  "The blind parrot", an unusual name for a coastal tavern, but they were seafaring folk,
and fact is stranger than fiction.

Apparently the original name for the Ale house was "The pirate's cove" and it is in that time that my story begins and it begins with a relative of mine, one Abram Robert's who was but a 12 year old
lad at the time.

Everyone, young and old, male and female came to the ale house to pick up a pint of porter, and
to gossip.  Young Abram would stop by the alehouse to pick up some porter for his poor widowed
mother on the way home from a small leanto with a teacher, it was the town's learning academy.

It is not so commonly known, but in those early days, water was rarely considered fit for drinking unless the source could be guaranteed. The most common alternative for most common folk would be a weak ale known as Porter, which would be drunk mostly by Women and Children, the men often preferring a stronger ale or where possible, a locally produced grog, Mede, or imported rum.

Abram had stopped in at "the pirate's cove" to purchase a gallon of Porter for home. The bartender, whose name was Captain Adams, knew Abram well and, offered him a glass of the refreshment to wet his whistle for the walk home. They seem to be such strange words now, but the lanes were dusty, the weather sultry, and the drink would quench his thirst. Abram was very
thankful and sat to chat with The Captain for a spell.   He didn't know if the Captain  had another name as this was all folks would call him. He was a very big man but as kind a man as Abram had ever known. Abram's  father, Ruby  had died when he was just four years old and Captain Adams, had always been kind to Abram's Mother, and would send occasional food and drink to them when times were hard.

As Abram  sat drinking his Porter, the Captain  came over with a wedge of fresh baked  soda bread. "Your looking hungry, Abe, eat this to keep your strength up. You need your energy to look after your poor mother." He said.

Abram  thanked him. The  soda bread was truly welcome and he broke off half to take back to his mother. Adams saw this, and bought another wedge of bread. Here young-un, eat what I gave you and take this for your mother." the Captain gave a hefty grin, chomping down hard on his  pipe.

The ole captain  had a soft spot for Abram, probably because he had no child of his own and being single thought it unlikely now that he ever would. He also had eyes for Abram's mother but could not bring himself to approach her. For such a giant of a man, he was extremely shy with women.

As Abram  was finishing his bread and Porter, there was a very noisy commotion and a large group of seafaring sailors  came into the 'Cove',  and demanded ale and food. Abram  knew that if they had just come back from a voyage, they would drink until they could not stand and perhaps it would not be the safest place for him to be.

He drank quickly, stuffed the small remaining piece of bread in his pocket and started for the door.

One of the seafarers barred his way.

"So quick to leave us then little-un"

Abram  told him that he had to get back home, and the Captain shouted across for him to let the boy past, which he did.

Once outside, William started to run along the lane towards his home. But suddenly there was a a loud crack, and a sharp pain and then......

Abram woke with a severe pain and a ringing in his ears....and in a room totally unfamiliar to him. He tried to get up but his hands and feet were bound securely with rope. He managed to sit himself up and looked around. It was fairly dark, but there was just enough light to make out barrels and ropes and timber beams and walls. The room creaked and he could feel some motion. At once he knew, he was on some kind of vessel.  He was kidnapped....and in broad daylight, this kind of
thing went on all the time, but Abram was too young.

In truth, the seafarer didn't take kindly having his sport interrupted in the Cove, and had followed Abram . As Abram  slowed he crept up behind and coshed him over the head and trussed him up with some cord. After he and the others had drunk their fill at the Cove and in a drunken state they dragged the unconscious boy back to their ship and tied him up in one of the holds. This was
the way that all young men were pressed into her magesty's royal service, but usually they were
alot older, sixteen to eighteen, Abram was just a child.

The following day at high tide the ship set sail, but the crew members who had been at theCove had forgotten their captive and it wasn't until many hours had passed that Abram was discovered.

Although frightened, Abram spoke up to the Ship's Commander. . The Privateer Captain was named Gideon, and everyone called him "lord Gideon"  he was  shouting at the crew to find out which idiots had bought him aboard. Abram  shouted out "Never mind them, turn the ship around, you must put me ashore!" He shouted in the most angry voice he could muster, but Lord Gideon was having none of it.

"Silence boy, how you got here is not my concern, but neither is the responsibility of getting you back home. You do have a choice though you can walk the plank , or earn your keep. What's it to be?"

On deck Abram  could see the sea and nothing but sea. Had he been able to see land he might have risked it, but swimming would be a death sentence.

Abram busied himself doing all the menial chores, scrubbing decks, repairing sailcloth being two of the more pleasant duties. Days, weeks and months passed and the only thing that was constant in Abram's  life was his anger and his suffering.

At last land was sighted and like most of the crew, Abram  raced to the ship's side to see. One of the crew told him that they had reached Martha's Vinyard, a small island popular with Privateers and Pirates alike. There was a good supply of fruit and fresh water here and a chance to take some landside rest.

Abram  was not guarded on the Island as there was simply nowhere to go. Either he got back to the ship at the appointed time or he would be left there.

The plan was to stay there one week before heading south to the virgin islands, so Abram decided to explore as much of the Island as possible.

On the third day, a strange thing happened. He was walking through a heavily wooded area, when he caught glimpse of a strange bird, in a clearing ahead of him. He approached slowly and what he saw puzzled him. There in the clearing there was a a beautiful tropical Parrot, and yet the Island
was not tropical, it was only a few miles south of the Cape. A parrot like this you would expect to see in the tropics. . But this parrot was in the clearing sitting on a very low branch, seemingly
waiting for Abram.

Abram slowly approached the bird and as he got near it, it spoke to him, "Follow me"

Abram, stopped and stared, thinking he heard wrong, but the parrot repeated, "Follow me."

At that moment, the bird flew through the trees,  pausing when Abram didn't follow, so he decided that it must want him to.

The path that the parrot chose was not one previously used and at times it was difficult to keep up, but every time that William stopped, the bird  paused until he was free of whatever obstruction was there. After about three quarters of an hour had passed the bird  came to a rocky cliff with a cave opening, on the sea's edge.  Abram entered the cave, but it was very dark. Eventually the parrot stopped in a large cavern. Here was a pool of water and sitting on a rock a very old man.

"So you have come at last, Abram"

"Who are you, and how do you know my name?" Abram asked.

"My name is also Abram, and I am your uncle, your mother's brother.", he replied. "and you were
named after me."

Abram  looked shocked. He knew that his mother had a brother, but he had been lost at sea, before he was born, so even if he was who he said he was, how could he know him. This was both puzzling and troubling.

"I was told you died at sea."  Abram finally spoke.

"I see you are confused Abram, let me explain. First let me introduce you to Ariel"

The bird darted forward as if to acknowledge him.
"Ariel  is a parrot native to this island, and it was he that told me you were here. Parrots can read minds and also plant thoughts in your head, which is how we communicate. It took a while for me to realise it but now she keeps me company in my loneliness. Right now she is concerned that I will leave her now that you are here. But I am happy here and that will not happen. You however must get away from these privateers and get home to my dear sister, who will be frantic about your disappearance."

Abram and his uncle talked for hours and his uncle shared food with him. His uncle told him that the parrot  had other powers that would help him to get home and that he would set these powers in motion the very next day. He should make his way back to the ship, but before he went, he would give him a gold medallion. When he got back to the Cape, he should take the medal to Barrister  George Fitzsimmons,  He should give the medallion to him.

Abram had no idea how all would turn out but did as his uncle suggested and returned to the vessel.

That night, the parrot  appeared to Abram and his mind was filled with a message that by morning they would be sailing back to Cape Cod

What Abram  did not see, was what happed in Lord Gideon's cabin.

After a good few tots of rum, the enebriated Lord had determined to get some sleep, but at the midnight hour, he was wakened by an eerie sensation. A strange light lit his cabin and a ghostly figure sat at the Captains table.

"Gideon", it called

"I am the ghost of Captain Roberts, You served under me so many years ago. I have come to give you a warning. Listen carefully. If you continue on your journey, you will fall into a trap set by your enemies. If you are to survive you must return to Capetown. I shall say no more, but ignore my message and your ship shall burn!"

Lord Gideon  was shaken it was indeed the apparition of Captain Roberts, but was it a real ghost or the rum speaking?

In the morning, Gideon had decided that it must have been the rum and ordered his crew to make sail south as originally planned.

As soon as he gave the order, the port bow sail burst into flames and a shout went up.

Lord Gideon  stood in horror and then shouted to his crew to put out the flames and head home to Cape Cod. The flames immediately subsided and a new sail was rigged.

Upon landing, Abram  immediately headed towards home. The house was empty....what could
have happened to his poor widowed mother?

Abram ran off to the Pirate's Cove, and sought out Captain Adams. When he entered the cove,
his mother was tending bar, the Captain cleaning jars behind her. They were both thrilled to see him as almost a year had passed and they had given him up for dead. Abram found that Captain Adams had consoled his mother and found the courage to ask her to be his wife, so that he could look after her properly.

Abram was so  pleased, as he knew Captain Adam's was kind. The captain told him that life was tough as business was very slow but he would be welcome there to live with them. Abram told them,
that he found work in town, and he could help them out now.

Abram told his mother all about his trip, and his meeting with her brother.  Then he announced that
he had to go to Boston to find a certain Barrister and would be gone for a few days.

It was quite a journey but on arrival at Fitzsimmon's  office , Abram  went inside and enquired for Mr. Fitzsimmons  in person. As the good Barrister  greeted him,  Abram told him the story and
handed the Barrister a gold medallion.



"Ah" said Fitzsimmons, "How very curious, but you may be surprised at what I have to give you."

With that, he went into a back room and bought out a small guilded cage, within sat a very old
Parrot, and he was blind at that.

The Barrister  explained that he had been charged and paid to look after the bird, who had lost it's sight on the high seas. . He was also told that whoever turned up with a medallion  identical to that given to the Barrister  should take charge of the bird.

As Abrah left the Barrister's office , he was a little upset. He had hoped that his uncle might have left some money to at least make the trip worthwhile, and all he had was a parrot who was blind as a bat, who had to be fed. Of course these thoughts went through his head but Abram was too kind to not look after the bird so they headed back home.

The road passed close to his mothers old home which was now falling into some disrepair. As they neared, the bird spoke up, " go home, go home, go home.".

Curious at this behaviour he took the caged bird  to the house.  the bird instructed him, " go to the out house."

The out house which had been used as a store was worn with age, and dangerous to enter.  But Abram did what he was told, and entered the out house.

The seat to the outhouse throne had been nailed down, long ago, and the shelves were falling down, and bare.

"open the lid."  the parrot said, open the lid, open the lid, open the lid....."" on and on he droned.

Abram found an axe and gave the toilet seat  a few good wacks. 

Opening the toilet lid, he stood  aghast.  An old wooden chest was lodged into the hole.  With one
good swing of the axe, the chest ripped open.  It was full of coins  and jewellery worth a king's ransom. So this was what his Uncle wanted him to find.

Soon he recounted his story to his Mother and to Captain Adams,  and his Mother told him that just prior to her brother going to sea for the last time, he said he had great news of a treasure that he would share with her upon his return. He had told her that he had discovered a treasure chest, but had hidden it for safety until he came back. She didn't really believe her brother as he had been known for telling tall tales. She said that the treasure rightly belonged to Abram  as it had been passed to him.

Abram  did however share his new found wealth with his mother and her new husband Captain Adams.  They renovated the Pirate's cove, and then changed the name to "the blind parrot"
The parrot had his place of honor behind the bar, and greeted everyone who entered into the
establishment.  The Captain and Abram  started a Brewery and as you know, the rest, as
they say, is history.