Narrator: On Treasure Island you might be forgiven for thinking a war was taking place.Anchored in the bay, the Hispaniola is firing her cannon deep into the woods.And through the trees, the pirates advance, muskets blazing. Oblivious tothe danger, young Jim Hawkins races through the undergrowth heading forthe Union Jack that flies bravely atop the trees. When he gets there, it’s arelief to find there’s shelter. A tall wooden stockade stands in a clearing - andinside it, his old friends Squire Trelawney, Doctor Livesey, Captain Smollettand a handful of faithful sailors, are fending off a full-blown attack from thepirates.
Jim: Doctor! Squire! Captain! Let down the drawbridge! It’s me!
Dr Livesey: Quickly, men, let the boy in!
Squire: Jim - we thought we’d lost you!
Hunter: Happen as still might unless we keep them muskets firing.
Squire: Ah, yes, good thinking my man. Repel the blackguards! A sovereign for everyman we put down!
Narrator: But the pirates give up the fight - for now. Jim and the others exchange news.It turns out that the stockade they’re in was built many years ago by CaptainFlint as a stronghold if ever he should be attacked. Squire Trelawney and theothers just beat Silver and the pirates to it - though they lost a couple of goodmen in so doing. They managed to salvage enough guns, ammunition andfood from the ship to keep them going for a couple of weeks but not muchmore.
Jim: So - we’re still outnumbered.
Captain Smollett: Aye - the laddy’s right!
Hunter: Who goes there? Stand or we fire!
Long John Silver: Flag of truce!
Dr Livesey: What do you want with your flag of truce?
Long John Silver: Cap’n Silver, sir, to come on board and make terms.
Captain Smollett: Cap’n Silver! Never heard of him. Who’s he?
Long John Silver: Me sir. These poor lads have chosen me to be their cap’n, after your…desertion…sir.
Captain Smollett: Ha! Desertion! I’ll show you desertion!
Doctor Livesey: Smollett! Smollett! We’ll hear you, Silver. But just you mind, now.
Long John Silver: Why thankee, sir. I knew you were a reasonable gent.
Narrator: Captain Smollett and Long John Silver face each other sullenly. Each mansits and lights a pipe. Neither speaks until…
Long John Silver: So here we are all together like a happy family, in a manner of speaking.
Captain Smollett: If you have anything to say, man, say it and be off with you!
Narrator: So Silver lays down his terms. He wants the treasure - and he means tohave it. But he needs the map to find it. So if they’ll just give him the map, hepromises to let them be and not to kill them all.
Long John Silver: A handsomer deal, you couldn’t look to get, now, could you?
Narrator: Silver smiles. But Smollett’s face is dark. He in turn makes Silver an offer.
Captain Smollett: Give yourselves up now, and I’ll make sure you get a fair trial back home.That - or die here on the island. Now off with you mister Silver before you geta bullet in your back!
Narrator: Silver’s face darkened and his eyes grow cold.
Long John Silver: Give me a hand up!
Narrator: The Captain turns his back.
Long John Silver: Who’ll give me a hand up?
Narrator: Not a man moves to help him. Silver has no choice. He crawls along thesand till he can grab hold of the porch and then hoists himself up against hiscrutch. Jim holds his breath.
Long John Silver: (Spitting) That’s what I think of ye! Laugh, by thunder, laugh! Before anhour’s out I’ll stove in your old block-house like a rum-puncheon! Them thatdie’ll be the lucky ones!
Narrator: And off he stumbles into the trees.
Squire: Well said, Smollett! That’ll take the wind out of his sails.
Jim: I’m not sure, sir - isn’t that the pirates now…?
Narrator: And before they can say another word there’s the scream of cannon balland the crack of musket ball and the wild swearing of blood-thirsty pirates asSilver’s men hurl themselves upon the stockade.
The fight is long and gruelling - and when it’s over, five more pirates lie dead;the rest are scattered. Smollett is badly wounded and two more loyal sailorsare dead too. Exhausted, Jim, the Squire and Doctor Livesey settle down fora grim and fearful night. Whilst, up on the hill above the stockade, mad BenGunn sniffs the air, listens to the island’s night time noises and begins to plothis revenge.
6. The stockade and the pirates attack
The pirates are advancing on a wooden stockade where the Squire and the others have taken shelter.
Jim races down the hillside and bangs on the door of the stockade and he's admitted just before the pirates arrive, guns blazing. It turns out the stockade was built by Captain Flint at the time of burying the treasure hoard.
The Squire and the others have been able to make use of the guns stored there and the initial pirate attack is repelled.
Later Long John Silver arrives at the stockade, holding a flag of truce. He is admitted to the stockade and the others listen to his terms: Silver wants the treasure and he means to have it; if they will give him the treasure map he will spare their lives. But Silver is expelled from the stockade, his terms rejected.
Immediately the pirates launch another attack and at the end of the battle crew members on both sides have been killed and Captain Smollett has been badly wounded.
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
8. The pirates parley and the black spot. video
Jim returns to the stockade to discover that it is now in the hands of the pirates
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
