Elena

No one of the verses and graphics below are mine, but they are entirely setting-appropriate and funny. This is why I posted them on all the Age of Sail sites I am on... Merry Christmas to you! Swab the decks w' boughs of holly Hoist the Roger if it's jolly Don we now our pirate trappings, Caught me peg leg in these wrappings fa la la la la, la la la la From the portside to the starboard And from transom to bow We are covered with invading bivalves They latched on when we were harbored, And nobody knows how To remove them and get the ship clear. Barnacles, barnacles, Give me a friggin' damn crowbar barnacles, barnacles, Soon they will eat this whole bay. Said the lookout to the bosun's mate, Do you hear what I hear? O Cannonball, O Cannonball I'll shoot you through the stockade wall Ye better watch out, ye better not cry, Get the rum out, I'm tellin' you why, Cap'n Jack is comin' ta town He walks with a list, talks a good game, Blade, kiss or fist, it's always the same, Cap'n Jack is comin' ta town. He seizes any treasure The rum and wenches too, He knows if you've been bad or good And either one will do! Don't follow his lead, it's gonna get grim, The only survivor likely is him, Cap'n Jack is comin' ta town. Christmas, christmas time is here, Time fer loot and wine and beer, Santa, bring your big ol' bag, We want treasure, we want swag Want a map from some old book, Me I want a brand new hook We can hardly stand the wait Please Christmas don't be late. I saw the cap'n kissing Santa Claus Down below the bulwark late last night ... Not that there's anything wrong with that. Arrr! The herald angels sing, Here's a letter from the king Up in the crows nest, it's my watch, Keeping warm with rum and scotch, Icy winds and freezing sleet, Too darn slippery to keep my feet Yo ho ho, who wouldn't goOOOOOOO.... Silent night, holy night, Shush the cat, douse the light Round the back, the door isn't locked Grab their stuff, we'll go get it hocked Sleep in heavenly peace, The constables' palms have been greased. All right, ye swabs! Big finish! Dashing through the snow Is somethin' we ain't done, Because we never go Away from tropic sun, Keep yer cold and ice, We think it's kinda dumb We've got our Christmas paradise With beaches, girls and rum! ARRR! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, Oh what fun it is to sail the Caribbean today-ay! Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas on the sea, Yo ho ho, yo ho ho, a Santa's life for me! Yo ho ho, yo ho ho, a Santa's life for me! Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that Captain Nick soon would be there. The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of the Jolly Roger danced in their heads. And pa in his pjs, and I in my wrap, Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap. When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a dashing young pirate and eight briny Buccaneer. In spite of his peg leg, he was lively and quick, I knew in a moment it was Captain Nick. More rapid than eagles his corsairs they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name! "Barbossa and Black Bart! Sir Morgan and Red Beard! O’Malley, Jack Sparrow, Old Sharktooth and Black Beard! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Avast, ye landlubbers, it’s our first port of call!! As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky. So up to the house-top the corsairs they flew, Up sturdy rope ladders, climbed Captain Nick’s crew. And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The swashbucklers dancing, though I had little proof. As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney Captain Nick came with a bound. He wore a red waistcoast, plumed hat and black boot, And his cape was all tarnished with ashes and soot. A bundle of booty, he had flung on his back, Our generous savior, then spotted his snack. His eyes-how they twinkled! Our gifts made him merry! “Why shiver me timbers, it’s eggnog with Sherry!” His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as black as a crow. The stump of his leg, clicked as he danced a jig, Eating cookies I‘d left, baked with chocolate and fig He had a brave face and a firm muscled belly, And hearing his laugh, my knees turned to jelly! He was handsome and pumped, though quite proud of himself, But I blushed when he saw me, in spite of myself! A wink of his eye and a nod of the head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread. He spoke not a word, while unloading the gold, Filling stockings with treasures, such a sight to behold Then there came a short whistle, he was finished I suppose, And with a heave ho of the rope, up the chimney he rose! With the Captain back safely, the crew gave a cheer, They escaped to their ship, their getaway clear. And I heard them exclaim, as they sailed out of sight, "We, Gentlemen of Fortune, bid to all a good-night!" “On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me ... 12 ships to plunder, 11 cannons firing, 10 crewmen leaping, 9 sharks a' swimming, 8 rum-filled bottles, 7 lusty wenches, 6 jolly rogers, 5 gold doubloons, 4 eyepatches, 3 earrings, 2 wooden legs, and a parrot for my shoulder - Arrr!” Oh, the pirates outside are frightful, and their ship is not delightful, And since they're all here to raid, let us pray, let us pray, let us pray! They don't show signs of stopping, and they brought some guns for poppin', Their torches are burning bright, what a fright, what a fright, what a fright! When they finally leave our town, how we'll love to see them sail away, And if we're lucky they'll leave our gold, And all the things we own! The fires are slowly dying, and too many of us are crying. And until they leave our sight, what a fright, what a fright, what a fright! Your town's roasting in an open fire, Gunshots're nipping at your backs, Screaming women yelling for us to leave And you're in terror as you're sacked. Everybody knows a cannon and a pirate flag Help to make the season's fright. Town folks here with their eyes all squeezed shut Will find it hard to live tonight. They know that pirates're in their town, They'll grab up lots of gold and maidens in their gowns. And every mother's child is gonna cry As through the streets their frightened families will fly. And so, I'm offering this simple phrase, To folks from one to ninety-two. If you don't want us in your town anymore, "Give us treasure, please do!" We're dashing through the seas, in a two-mast pirate ship, O'er the waves we go, laughing all the way (yo ho ho!), The sails and skull-flag wave, making pirates bright, What fun it is to sail and sing a pirate song tonight! Pirate ships, pirate ships, yo ho all the way. Oh, what fun it is to sail in a two-mast pirate ship. Pirate ships, pirate ships, yo ho all the way. Oh, what fun it is to sail in a two-mast pirate ship!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

And may all your wishes come true!

MANY HAPPY RETURNS!

I can't do graphics, but I have friends who do them for me... so these are for my characters (Pirates, navy, mercenary and tavern keeper alike): And I hope you accept the Vikings too - they have also been pirates...

So did I. ANd I'll need a confirmation when it will arrive because until then I am keeping the bill for eventual investigations, but hopefully my small package won't get lost.

Many happy returns, lots of rhum and whatever you wish to come true!

And which birthday wish for a pirate would be coplete without a bottle of rhum? Many happy returns, and all your wishes come true!

Many happy returns, lots of muses to inspire your good writing... and may all wishes come true!

It was a regulation meant for Christmas, as far as I understood. It sucks,anyway

But... is it how it should be? I mean... I never faced an opponent, but I read several fencing manuals in order to be able to write my fencing scenes. Isn't the "cue" supposed to MISLEAD? Isn't the adversary supposed to not know exactly where the fencer is striking? I got this impression, of surprise moves and secret blows, from swashbuckling books and from the fencing manuals!

I had an unpleasant surprise when mailing my gift too. They put in the customs rules for Christmas a limit of 400g to the gifts to USA. So one of the books I intended to send remains with me until next time...

Welcome aboard!

Only one? OK then... But I guess I have another one too... I haven't seen Pirate Santas before, but I found these and Iuse them for holidays on my site... Merry Christmas everybody, and may Santa bring you everything you wish!

I gave you my Spanish treasures (vizcaina, navaja, Toledo sword) photos, please give me some flying knives... I need to see some. I know styles were different... so any of you who are into blades, please help.

Belated happy birthday to you....

Join the club, my friend! Here in Bucharest no pirates either... but I get them online, in my games... Join one of them, play a pirate and feel the Caribbean sun in the winter of the North...

Thank you very much, all of you! You gave me ideas not only for the scene I had to write yesterday, but also for different future ones! (And, by the way, my writing partner had a lot of fun when I described it, including the horse harnesses and especially teapots ) Jackdaw, I don't need to go to UK for fish and chips, we have here at the seaside and at the beer festivals too

Thank you very much, you helped me a lot! I think Jen understood me the best, even if the others' sugestions are good too. She helped me solving my problem. Well, partially it was that I didn't know where to look for the artwork, and the other problem was vocabulary connected. I mean, English is still a foreign language to me, and, irrespectively that I speak it fluently, I am still struggling with some specific vocabulary (besides the fact that, not having anybody in my family into fishing, I think I wouldn't know even in my mother tongue how some things I see in the picture are called )

Please, help! My character helps another one to buy a harpoon. Somebody had advised them to go to a ship selling items for fishing ships. How to describe the shop? What do they see inside? (It is 1719, if it helps you).

I still don't see my name there in the list, is it any problem because I am not in the US? I was inscribed the twelfth if counting from down up on the first page.