Narrator: Night is falling again on Treasure Island. Jim Hawkins wades ashore from thegood ship Hispaniola, having seized it single-handed from the pirates. Now,as he walks through the darkness back to the stockade he fancies he鈥檚 goingto get a hero鈥檚 welcome - for there鈥檚 not many boys can fight pirates to thedeath and get away with it.
He reaches the stockade and everything is quiet. Approaching the blockhouse all that can be heard is snoring. Jim tip-toes through the sleepingfigures stifling a chuckle, then trips on a foot. The figure groans, and then:Parrot: Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!
Long John Silver: Who goes there?
Jim: Silver?
Long John Silver: Bring a torch! Quickly now!
Jim: Who did? Who did you? How did you? What happened to?
Long John Silver: Jim Hawkins, shiver me timbers!
Narrator: Jim is grabbed and a torch is brought - illuminating the block-house andshowing in its light the ragged faces of six desperate pirates. Silver motionsfor Jim to sit down, then takes a pipe and lights it. Jim sits.
Long John Silver: Now I shall explain. And when I鈥檝e finished ye shall decide whether ye bewith us - which will be good - or agin us - which will be not so good.
Narrator: And Silver explains that as soon as they all saw the ship had gone he andLivesey had made a deal. The pirates got the stockade - Livesey and theSquire got their freedom. Although, Silver says, Livesey didn鈥檛 seem to mindmuch about Jim.
Long John Silver: 鈥楢s for that boy,鈥 he says, 鈥業 don鈥檛 know where he is, nor do I much care.Confound him. We鈥檙e about sick of him.鈥 These was his words, Jim, and that鈥檚all there is to hear.
Narrator: Jim has listened carefully through all this, his back pressed hard against thewall. Now his cheeks burn and his heart beats painfully in his chest.
Jim: Here you are in a bad way. Ship lost, treasure lost, men lost. Your wholebusiness gone to wreck - and if you want to know who did it - it was I!
Long John Silver: You? Ha, ha, very good, oh very good. Hear that lads - tis Jim we needs bescared of. Pirate Jim no less!
Jim: I heard your plans from the apple barrel; I cut the schooner鈥檚 cable; I killedthe men on board; and I hid her where you鈥檒l never see her again. Thelaugh鈥檚 on my side, eh? I no more fear you than I fear a fly. Kill me if youplease. You鈥檒l do yourselves no good. But if you spare me, then when you lotare in court for piracy I鈥檒l save you all I can.
Narration: Jim finishes his speech and sits back, quite amazed at himself. This is notthe boy who sat in The Admiral Benbow Inn waiting for an adventure. This isa soul who鈥檚 lived and is proud of it. The pirates mutter and moan - then stepoutside for a parley. Silver takes Jim to one side.
Long John Silver: Lookee here, Jim Hawkins, you鈥檙e within half a plank of death - or worse,torture. But I鈥檒l cut a deal with ye. I鈥檒l protect you from the pirates, but only ifyou look out for me.
Narrator: Of course, he can鈥檛 promise anything - not one man against the mob. Whenthe pirates come back in, they鈥檝e made their minds up. And it鈥檚 just as Silverfears.
Pirate: Now then, Silver. We鈥檝e had our parley. And this is what we鈥檝e decided. Theboy - Jim Hawkins - is a meddler. And meddlers is bad as any pirate will tellya. So it鈥檚 time he went. To his death, that is.
Long John Silver: I see. And be that all?
Pirate: Not quite. There be one more thing. We鈥檇 like you to have鈥his.
Narrator: The pirate walks slowly towards Silver - his hand clasped round somethingsmall. He hesitates.
Long John Silver: Step up - I鈥檒l not eat you. Thank you, what have we here? The black spot. Ithought so. But look at this, you half-wits! Oh this ain鈥檛 lucky. You鈥檝e gone andcut this out of a Bible. What fool鈥檚 cut a Bible?
Pirate: It weren鈥檛 me鈥t were Dick.
Jim: Black Spot cut from a bible?
Long John Silver: Don鈥檛 you lads know that them two counts each other out? Dear oh dear.Now, for one, we鈥檙e not killing Jim because we shall need him yet as ahostage. And, for another, you鈥檙e not killing me because I have somethingyou want.
Pirate: Oh yes? You鈥檝e bungled the entire voyage, Silver. You鈥檝e got nothing!
Long John Silver: Oh, but I do, gentlemen. Part of my deal with the good Doctor Livesey. Forhis freedom he gave me the stockade鈥ut he also gave me鈥his.
Narrator: And with a dramatic flourish Long John Silver takes from his waistcoat afolded piece of parchment. Slowly he opens it. And throws it on the floor.
Pirates: The map, the map, the treasure map!
Narrator: The pirates link arms and sing in joy. Silver leans across and whispers intoJim鈥檚 ear:
Long John Silver: That鈥檚 as close to your death as you鈥檒l come in this lifetime, young Jim. I鈥檒lappreciate it if you鈥檒l not forget my hand in your salvation
8. The pirates parley and the black spot
The Hispaniola is safely moored - Jim has seized it from the pirates single-handed.
Jim makes his way back to the stockade, assuming he'll return to a hero's welcome. But when Jim enters the stockade he discovers it has been taken by the pirates. Silver explains that when it became apparent that the ship had gone a deal was struck: the pirates took the stockade and in return the Squire, Dr Livesey and Captain Smollett were given their freedom.
Jim is invited to join the pirates in their venture but Jim is having none of it and reveals that it is he - Jim - who has been the author of all their problems.
The pirates are restless and retire to have a 'parley'. At the end of it they return to tell Silver that Jim Hawkins should die. And they also give Silver 'the black spot'. But they have made a blunder - the black spot has been placed on a page of a bible and thus has no effect.
At this moment Silver is able to regain control of the situation by revealing that he also has the map - and the pirates begin to celebrate, believing that soon they will be rich.
Teacher Notes
This series can be used to increase pupils' familiarity with a broad range of texts and narratives, including myths, legends and traditional stories and to make connections between these and other stories they are familiar with.
It will also support a broad range of writing objectives.
This series is relevant for teaching English at KS2, in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and at First and Second Level in Scotland.
7. A fight and the Hispaniola captured. video
Jim slips away at night, sets the Hispaniola adrift and in the morning boards the ship
9. An empty pit and Ben Gunn's surprise. video
Silver and his crew follow the map inland...but someone has beaten them to the treasure
10. Silver escapes and the heroes return. video
The Hispaniola puts ashore during the voyage home...and Silver grasps his opportunity
