s, and sent
them on board the first ship that was sailing to his native land, and
followed them with a light heart. The wind at starting was fair, but it
soon freshened, and in the night rose to a gale. For two days they ran
before it, and hoped that by keeping well out to sea they might be able
to weather the storm, when, suddenly, the ship struck on a rock, and
began to fill. Orders were given to lower the boats, and Tiidu with
three sailors got into one of them, but before they could push away from
the ship a huge wave overturned it, and all four were flung into the
water. Luckily for Tiidu an oar was floating near him, and with its help
he was able to keep on the surface of the water; and when the sun rose,
and the mist cleared away, he saw that he was not far from shore. By
hard swimming, for the sea still ran high, he managed to reach it, and
pulled himself out of the water, more dead than alive. Then he flung
himself down on the ground and fell fast asleep.

When he awoke he got up to explore the island, and see if there were any
men upon it; but though he found streams and fruit trees in abundance,
there was no trace either of man or beast. Then, tired with his
wanderings he sat down and began to think.

For perhaps the first time in his life his thoughts did not instantly
turn to money. It was not on his lost treasures that his mind dwelt, but
on his conduct to his parents: his laziness and disobedience as a boy;
his forgetfulness of them as a man. 'If wild animals were to come and
tear me to pieces,' he said to himself bitterly, 'it would be only what
I deserve! My gains are all at the bottom of the sea--well! lightly won,
lightly lost--but it is odd that I feel I should not care for that if
only my pipes were left me.' Then he rose and walked a little further,
till he saw a tree with great red apples shining amidst the leaves,
and he pulled some down, and ate them greedily. After that he stretched
himself out on the soft moss and went to sleep.

In the morning he ran to the nearest stream to wash himself, but to his
horror, when he caught sight of his face, he saw his nose had grown the
colour of an apple, and reached nearly to his waist. He started back
thinking he was dreaming, and put up his hand; but, alas! the dreadful
thing was true. 'Oh, why does not some wild beast devour me?' he cried
to himself; 'never, never, can I go again amongst my fellow-men! If only
the sea had swallowed me up, how much happ