Fables | Page 3

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Fables - Robert Louis Stevenson - 1901 Edition Scanned and proofed
by David Price [email protected]

*** FABLES

I. - THE PERSONS OF THE TALE.
AFTER the 32nd chapter of TREASURE ISLAND, two of the puppets
strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again, and met
in an open place not far from the story.
"Good-morning, Cap'n," said the first, with a man-o'-war salute, and a
beaming countenance.
"Ah, Silver!" grunted the other. "You're in a bad way, Silver."
"Now, Cap'n Smollett," remonstrated Silver, "dooty is dooty, as I
knows, and none better; but we're off dooty now; and I can't see no call
to keep up the morality business."
"You're a damned rogue, my man," said the Captain.
"Come, come, Cap'n, be just," returned the other. "There's no call to be
angry with me in earnest. I'm on'y a chara'ter in a sea story. I don't
really exist."
"Well, I don't really exist either," says the Captain, "which seems to
meet that."

"I wouldn't set no limits to what a virtuous chara'ter might consider
argument," responded Silver. "But I'm the villain of this tale, I am; and
speaking as one sea-faring man to another, what I want to know is,
what's the odds?"
"Were you never taught your catechism?" said the Captain. "Don't you
know there's such a thing as an Author?"
"Such a thing as a Author?" returned John, derisively. "And who
better'n me? And the p'int is, if the Author made you, he made Long
John, and he made Hands, and Pew, and George Merry - not that
George is up to much, for he's little more'n a name; and he made Flint,
what there is of him; and he made this here mutiny, you keep such a
work about; and he had Tom Redruth shot; and - well, if that's a Author,
give me Pew!"
"Don't you believe in a future state?" said Smollett. "Do you think
there's nothing but the present story-paper?"
"I don't rightly know for that," said Silver; "and I don't see what it's got
to do with it, anyway. What I know is this: if there is sich a thing as a
Author, I'm his favourite chara'ter. He does me fathoms better'n he does
you - fathoms, he does. And he likes doing me. He keeps me on deck
mostly all the time, crutch and all; and he leaves you measling in the
hold, where nobody can't see you, nor wants to, and you may lay to that!
If there is a Author, by thunder, but he's on my side, and you may lay to
it!"
"I see he's giving you a long rope," said the Captain. "But that can't
change a man's convictions. I know the Author respects me; I feel it in
my bones; when you and I had that talk at the blockhouse door, who do
you think he was for, my man?"
"And don't he respect me?" cried Silver. "Ah, you should 'a' heard me
putting down my mutiny, George Merry and Morgan and that lot, no
longer ago'n last chapter; you'd heard something then! You'd 'a' seen
what the Author thinks o' me! But come now, do you consider yourself
a virtuous chara'ter clean through?"
"God forbid!" said Captain Smollett, solemnly. "I am a man that tries to
do his duty, and makes a mess of it as often as not. I'm not a very
popular man at home, Silver, I'm afraid!" and the Captain sighed.
"Ah," says Silver. "Then how about this sequel of yours? Are you to be
Cap'n Smollett just the same as ever, and not very popular at home,

says you? And if so, why, it's TREASURE ISLAND over again, by
thunder; and I'll be Long John, and Pew'll be Pew, and we'll have
another mutiny, as like as not. Or are you to be somebody else? And if
so, why, what the better are you? and what the worse am I?"
"Why, look here, my man," returned the Captain, "I can't understand
how this story comes about at all, can I? I can't see how you and I, who
don't exist, should get to speaking here,