The Honour of the Flag

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Russell, William Clark, 1844-1911

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Honour of the Flag" by William Clark Russell is a short story written in the late 19th century. The narrative presents a lively tale centered around the conflicts and camaraderie between two very different characters: John Sloper, a retired tailor, and Joseph Westlake, an old sailor who is determined to assert the honor of his maritime flag. Set against the backdrop of the bustling Thames River, the story explores themes of pride, honor, and the humorous misunderstandings that can arise between civilians and seafarers. The opening of the short story introduces us to John Sloper, who celebrates the anniversary of his wife's death with great enthusiasm, much to the dismay of nearby sailors. One fateful Easter Monday, Sloper fires cannons in celebration, which inadvertently irritates Westlake and his crew on the cutter, the "Tom Bowling". A series of humorous exchanges follows, leading to a spirited confrontation between the two, as Westlake feels his flag's honor has been insulted. With a combination of bravado and mischief, the sailors retaliate against Sloper, taking him captive as they debate the significance of their actions and ultimately leading to a satirical exploration of dignity and retribution on the open waters. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

The honor of the flag

Cornered!

A midnight visitor

Plums from a sailor's duff

The strange adventures of a South Seaman

The adventures of three sailors

The strange tragedy of the "White Star"

The ship seen on the ice.

Credits:

Produced by Ted Garvin, Don Perry and the Online Distributed Proofreaders Europe at http://dp.rastko.net

Notes:

Reading ease score: 73.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Release date is 2006-11-23