ou could say more about the things that were
interesting. Weren't you?"

Little Jacob got very red. "Oh, no, sir," he said. "That is, I--well,
you see, the things that are new and interesting to me--well, I s'pose
you have seen them so many times that it doesn't seem worth while to you
to say much about them."

"That is a part of the reason," answered Captain Solomon. "The other
part is that it doesn't seem necessary. Anything that concerns the ship
is put down. We don't have time--nor we don't have the wish--to put down
anything else."

"Of course," said little Jacob, "it isn't necessary."

"I'll tell you what I'll do, Jacob," said Captain Solomon. "I'll let you
write up the log, and then you can write as much as you like about
anything that interests you."

Little Jacob got very red again. "_Oh!_" he cried, getting up in his
excitement. "Will you let me do that? _Thank_ you. I thank you very
much. But--but how shall I put down all those numbers that show how the
ship goes?"

"I'll give you the numbers, as you call them," said Captain Solomon,
"and I'll look over the log every day, to see that you put them down
right."

"I'll put them down just exactly the way you tell me to," said little
Jacob. "And I thank you very much. And I--I write pretty well."

And little Jacob ran to find little Sol and to tell him about how he was
going to write the log of the voyage, after that. And he did write it,
numbers and all, and it was a very interesting and well written log. For
little Jacob could write very well indeed; rather better than Captain
Solomon. Captain Solomon knew that when he said that little Jacob could
write it.

And that's all.

THE SHARK STORY

Once upon a time there was a wide river that ran into the ocean, and
beside it was a little city. And in that city was a wharf where great
ships came from far countries. And a narrow road led down a very steep
hill to that wharf, and anybody that wanted to go to the wharf had to go
down the steep hill on the narrow road, for there wasn't any other way.
And because ships had come there for a great many years, and all the
sailors and all the captains and all the men who had business with the
ships had to go on that narrow road, the flagstones that made the
sidewalk were much worn. That was a great many years ago.

The wharf was Captain Jonathan's and Captain Jacob's, and they owned the
ships that sailed from it; and, after their ships had been sailing f