All aboard for the transcribed premiere production, the cruise of the Paul Parrot. That exciting story of whaling days and the search for buried treasure. In order to recover the diamonds from the mine which has been covered over by a landslide on the island of Galtow, our friends headed by Captain Roy Dalton were forced to go to Ascension Island for explosives. While there, they are successful in foiling a raid by privateers on property of friends of Captain Dalton's. During a fight between Captain Dalton and Dirk Briscoe, leader of the privateers, Sue Grange saves the captain's life by running between the two as Briscoe is about to shoot Captain Dalton. Unbeknown to Captain Dalton, to escape from the authorities, Briscoe and his crew have taken refuge on Galtow Island where they discover Red Mulhollay, the sailor who was given up for dead during the eruption of Smokeymouth, the volcano on Galtow Island. Briscoe and Mulhollay have joined forces in order to secure the treasure before Captain Dalton and the rest of our friends return. After securing explosives at Georgetown on Ascension Island, our friends are returning to Galtow. A board ship which is underway, we find Johnny Robbins and Sue Grange talking to Old Dickens, the peg-leg sailor. Paul Parrott himself is perched atop Dickens' shoulder. Fair weather, mateys! Don't forget, we've yet to get the bellied diamonds. Polly's been a great help to us on this cruise, Dickens. Yeah, that he has little Sue. I owe me life to him, that I do. Yes, when you were tied up in Old Man Kip's cabin, it was Paul Parrott who led Captain Dalton and Mr. Wainwright to where you were. Good old Polly. It's fair weather and foul. He's been through with me since first we hooked up. Hey, Polly? Fair weather and foul! Fair weather and foul! You know, Dickens, I've often wanted to ask you how long you've had Paul Parrott. Yes, well, I suppose we just took it for granted that you've always had him with you. Stay from me, menses. It seems to me I've always had him with me. He must be an awful old bird, Dickens. Aye, there's no remembering how old he is. I got him when I was a mere nerd, I did. And he's been with me ever since. I'll bet you got him in South America, Dickens. What makes you say that, lad? Well, don't all parrots come from South America? No, Johnny. About half the parrots are from South America, but a lot of them come from Australia. Right you are, monsieur. That's just where I got Paul Parrott. In Sydney, Australia, it was. When I was a youngin' like you too, over there they called them lorries. Rock, rock, shiver me timbers, I'm a lorry, I'm a lorry. Even Polly hasn't forgotten. Rock, Dickens, a lorry. Dickens, a lorry. Rock, rock, rock. Hey, hey, you wool-eyed overgrown parakeet. I'll wring you a bloomin' naked till you call a me a lorry. It's funny they don't find parrots on islands like Galtow or Ascension Island we just left. Well, it's like this. Parrots are found only on tropical islands and in other countries. In Europe and America, it gets too cold for them. And on islands like Ascension, it's too cold too. Oh, Dickens, you said to remind you and you'd tell us something about Ascension Island. That's right. But so many things have been happening of late we forgot to remind you. See, I did promise to tell you something, didn't I? Yes. You said it was something about Napoleon. Aye, that I did. Well, the island, we was just on, you know, Ascension Island. Well, that belongs to England, she does. It was about the year 1815 it was that they made a settlement there. That was after the war between England and France after the Battle of Waterloo. Oh, tell us about it, Dickens. Yes. Where were you, Dickens? Why, we're still in Australia, I was. But my dad rest him. He fought under the Duke of Wellington, he did. And many the tale he told me about Napoleon. I remember it well. It seems like only yesterday me old daddy was telling me about... Napoleon was a great little general, he was. Not much smaller than me, he wasn't. All small men are great, they are. Rocks, sink the braggers, hulk. Sink them, sink them. Polly, I'm a warning you. I'll sink your hulk, I will. Go ahead, Dickens. This is interesting, all right. Well, about that Battle of Waterloo. The battle was fought on 1815 at a town near Brussels, Belgium. The British under the Duke of Wellington were held by some Prussian soldiers under the command of General Blutcher. The fighting began a little before known it did. And the French forces under Napoleon was just about winning, they were. But they didn't win, did they, Dickens? Don't interrupt, Johnny. Go ahead, Dickens. That's right, they didn't win. Because just as they were about to defeat the British, the Prussians came up from the other side. Napoleon was surrounded, wasn't he? Oh, that he was. And in spite of desperate charges, he must have realized that his ghost was cucked. Napoleon lost about 40,000 men in that battle, and that was just about the end of it. What's that all got to do with Ascension Island? Oh, Dickens, come under that, aren't you, Dickens? Ay, that I am. Well, shortly after the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon gave himself up to the British, and they sent him to St. Eleanor Island, where he stayed the rest of his life, which wasn't very long, it wasn't. He was a sad man, he was. You see, he always wanted to be the emperor of all Europe, and he almost was. He might have succeeded if it hadn't been for the Battle of Waterloo, when he lost to the Duke of Wellington. Well, after about six years of loneliness and brooding on the island of St. Eleanor, he died, he did. But still, I don't see what that has got to do with Ascension Island. Oh, but it has this to do with it. When you was on Ascension Island, you were just 700 miles north by west, you was, from St. Eleanor Island. 700 miles from where the great Napoleon spent the last six years of his life, and where he died. I wish we could have gone there, to St. Eleanor, I mean. Ay, lad, someday you may have the chance. Many's the time I've been there. I'd like to see where Napoleon is buried. That's why I'd like to visit St. Eleanor sometime. Ay, but he's not buried there, Miss Sue. But you said just now, Dickens, that Napoleon died on the island of St. Eleanor. That I did. He did die there, and he was buried there. He was, but some years later his coffin was dug up, it was, and was taken to Paris and re-buried. Because, you see, the French people still thought he was a great man, even if he was defeated by the British. And they wanted his body buried in French soil. Sue, do you know, being with Dickens like this and listening to his stories, it's just like going to school. It's better than going to school, I think. Ay, you're wrong there, little Miss Sue. Learning is better for youngins than going to school. Yes, but in school you can't be cruising around the world like we're doing now. That may be true, Miss Sue, but you learn more in school. It's often I've wished I'd been able to go to school and learn things the easy way. What do you mean the easy way, Dickens? I'll tell you what I mean. I have learnt a lot of things in me life, but I learnt them the hard way. I sailed from one end of the globe to the other a hundred times. I've knocked around and been knocked around, I have. Not a lot I did, but lost a leg doing it. You see, even though I know a lot about the world and I've seen a lot, still I'm just an ignorant sailor I am. Oh, you are not, Dickens. Ay, that I am, youngin'. I'm just smart enough to know that I ain't smart at all. That is, smart in the things I'd like to be smart about. What do you mean by that, Dickens? I mean that I often wish that I was smart in knowing how to act around nice people. Like, for instance, your brother, Miss Sue. He's educated he is. But you can't learn them things shipping on a whaler, you can't. You've got to go to school, you do. Look, Captain Dalton's coming this way. Avast, me hearties, what's in the sails? Oh, Captain Dalton, Dickens has been telling us how close we were to St. Helena Island where Napoleon died when we were on Ascension Island. Ay, that we were, Miss Sue. Well, I've learned more from Dickens since we've been on this cruise than I ever knew before, Captain Dalton. I'm glad of that, Johnny. You can learn a lot from Dickens. He's a smart old seagull, and you may lay to that. Thank you, Captain, but I'm not a smart one, I'm not. I've just seen a lot I have. But after all is said and done, I'm just an old rough tar. I'm fit only for the sea. Ay, an old rough tar with a heart as pure as gold and as strong as steel. I'm proud to call you a friend, Dickens, and you may lay to that. Why, Dickens, there's a tear in your eye. Ay, there is, Miss Sue, but I'm not ashamed of it, I'm not. It's been a long time since these old eyes of mine are wet with anything besides salt water. What's wrong, Dickens? Oh, nothing's wrong, Johnny Lad. These tears are tears of happiness to be sailing with such a fine man as Captain D'Altenia. Why, Dickens, I'm no different than any other skipper. Captain, all my life, man and boy, I've sailed on the men of your captain from Cape Town to Fresco, from Liverpool to Yokohama, around the whole a dozen times or more. And I've been shanghaied by pirates and sailed on the men I couldn't even understand their blooming speech. Whalers, Portuguese fish boats, Chinese pirates, and some nice ones, you may lay to that. Starved almost to death on desert islands, flogged by sea brigands, pushed around and beaten by drunken skippers. Ay, but I'm happy, I'm happy I went through all that, because it made a good sailor out of me. And if I hadn't been a sailor, I'd never had a chance to sail under such a man as Captain D'Altenia. And that I wouldn't, so help me. Dickon, I hardly know what to say. Ah, ah, Dickon's a soft one, Dickon's a soft one. Soft am I? Soft am I? I'll wring your neck, you blooming owl. What was that? Sounded like an explosion, I did, sir. There, I heard it. Where could that come from, Captain D'Alten? Just off starboard. You can see Galto Island coming in view, and those explosions are coming from Galto Island. I don't like the sound of it. Nor do I, Captain D'Alten. Could it be that volcano again, Captain D'Alten? Oh, I hope not. No, no, it's not the volcano this time. Those explosions are being set off by human hands. You may lay to that. Well, what do you think it could be, Captain D'Alten? I don't think, I know. Someone is blasting the mine to get at those diamonds. It looks like we're getting here just in time. Yes, someone is blasting the mine on Galto Island to get at the diamonds buried there. Of course, Captain D'Alten has no idea it's Dirk Briscoe and Red Mulhollay. Will Captain D'Alten get there in time before Briscoe and Mulhollay get away with the treasure? Be sure to listen to the next exciting adventure on the cruise of the Paul Parrot. And we'll find out just what is in store for Captain D'Alten, Old Dickens, Johnny and Sue, and the rest of our friends when they land once more on the island of Galto. Until then, this is your Paul Parrot announcer, Dave Ward, saying goodbye.
