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’s goingto get a hero’s welcome - for there’s 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’ve 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’t seem to mindmuch about Jim.
Long John Silver: ‘As for that boy,’ he says, ‘I don’t know where he is, nor do I much care.Confound him. We’re about sick of him.’ These was his words, Jim, and that’sall 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’s cable; I killedthe men on board; and I hid her where you’ll never see her again. Thelaugh’s on my side, eh? I no more fear you than I fear a fly. Kill me if youplease. You’ll do yourselves no good. But if you spare me, then when you lotare in court for piracy I’ll 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’s 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’re within half a plank of death - or worse,torture. But I’ll cut a deal with ye. I’ll protect you from the pirates, but only ifyou look out for me.
Narrator: Of course, he can’t promise anything - not one man against the mob. Whenthe pirates come back in, they’ve made their minds up. And it’s just as Silverfears.
Pirate: Now then, Silver. We’ve had our parley. And this is what we’ve decided. Theboy - Jim Hawkins - is a meddler. And meddlers is bad as any pirate will tellya. So it’s 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’d like you to have…this.
Narrator: The pirate walks slowly towards Silver - his hand clasped round somethingsmall. He hesitates.
Long John Silver: Step up - I’ll not eat you. Thank you, what have we here? The black spot. Ithought so. But look at this, you half-wits! Oh this ain’t lucky. You’ve gone andcut this out of a Bible. What fool’s cut a Bible?
Pirate: It weren’t me…it were Dick.
Jim: Black Spot cut from a bible?
Long John Silver: Don’t you lads know that them two counts each other out? Dear oh dear.Now, for one, we’re not killing Jim because we shall need him yet as ahostage. And, for another, you’re not killing me because I have somethingyou want.
Pirate: Oh yes? You’ve bungled the entire voyage, Silver. You’ve 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…but he also gave me…this.
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’s ear:
Long John Silver: That’s as close to your death as you’ll come in this lifetime, young Jim. I’llappreciate it if you’ll 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
