Old Captain and The Lady in The Seashell (part 1)

 A mysterious shop, a beautiful voice trapped in a seashell, and a love story that defies nature itself. When Old Captain stumbles upon "Worldly Wares and Wiles," he discovers more than dusty relics and ancient artifacts—he finds a tale that will consume him completely.

Transcript

Welcome to Season 2

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Hi all and welcome back to Season 2 . Hope you like and follow so you can get notified of new episodes . And now it's time to Tell Me an Old Captain

Old Captain and Lady in Seashell

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Story . Old Captain and the Lady in the Seashell , part One .

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It was a breezy autumn day with puffy white clouds that passed lazily over a market street . Old Captain , when he had only a few gray hairs in his beard , weaved his way through the crowded bazaar . He gazed at the many vendors and patrons when he came across a shop that caught his eye . The wooden sign above the door was painted with faded gold letters that read Worldly Wears and Wiles . It was the only shop without a vendor outside barking about deals on various trinkets and drawing attention to the business . In fact , it was the only shop without customers filing in and out of the door , which for old Captain was more reason to check it out . He stepped inside , where it was so dark he had to take a moment to adjust to the dim light . He rubbed his eyes and opened them to see that there was a torch lamp above and a few placed throughout the shop . The place looked ancient , like a museum of relics from around the world . The noise of the street outside quickly muffled behind the surprisingly thick shop door . The air smelled like aged leather and sweat and something vaguely fishy . He snorted to get the smell out of his nose and stepped forward on a creaking wood floor .

The Mysterious Voice

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Who goes there ? A hoarse voice called out we're closed . Oh well , the door was open . There was a commotion in the back room followed by a tirade of curses .

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Old Captain took a step forward into the dusty gloom of the old shop . He heard a buzzing sound like a large fly , or perhaps a bumblebee , somewhere in the room . Are you all right back there ? The shop owner muttered an oath . In the room there were all sorts of books , bottles and ancient items that decked the walls a shield from some faraway land with fur hanging off the edge , a sword with a wicked curve and a club made from what looked like a very large creature's leg bone . One wall was adorned with masks . The detail in the faces was so minute that their visages were rather frightening to look at .

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There was a medium-sized terrarium . A crack in the glass ran along the lower half . It had those Japanese bonsai trees and various rocks and what appeared to be a turtle skeleton in it . It was so dusty he could make out little else . Everything was covered in dust . Old Captain even noticed the floor had such dust on it that it was leaving footprints . Nobody has been here in ages , he thought .

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Near the shopkeeper's counter , on top of a pillar about chest high , was a large glass case resting heavily on its base . It was the only thing in the shop that had been recently dusted . Old Captain examined it . In the bottom of the box was fine white sand , and resting on top of that sand was a very large , heavy-looking seashell . It was a conch shell about the size of a watermelon . It was a conch shell about the size of a watermelon with blue , green and brown patterns , and the inside flange was colored a light to dark pink . Old Captain leaned down to get a better look at it . When he heard the buzzing again he waved his hand absently to swat it . As he peered into the glass box the buzz increased . He wondered if a fly got caught inside the shell and was trapped . He looked for it but saw nothing crawling around inside . The shipkeeper had not come out from the back of the establishment yet .

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An old captain found himself firmly in the grip of curiosity and could not resist lifting the heavy glass cover . There was a slight gasp of air when he broke the glass box seal . It must not have been opened in some time . Just before the lid came up , the buzzing inside had increased . But when it was off , to his surprise , there was no fly , there was no buzz . There was instead the most beautiful sound of a woman's voice he'd ever heard . Instead , the most beautiful sound of a woman's voice he'd ever heard , she was singing the smallest , sweetest , sad song from somewhere inside the shell . Old Captain was transfixed . The voice was magical . He was quickly stirred by emotion and a sudden ache in his soul to hear more . When the glass lid slammed down before him , what are you doing ? A man stood before him , stronger than his size and bent stature would suggest . As he set the heavy glass cover back in place , once again , the singing became just a buzz under the glass .

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Old Captain blinked at the face of the shopkeeper . What was that ? Old Captain

Meeting Saren the Shopkeeper

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said absently , still feeling the music linger in his ears . Who was that ? Get out of my shop Please , sir . I beg your pardon . Old Captain put his hands up . I must know . How did she get in there ? He studied the old shopkeeper's face . The man's skin was smooth , though his eyes showed age beyond what his face could tell . The shopkeeper's shoulders dipped under some unseen weight and he let out a sigh . He regarded old captain for a long moment , perhaps measuring him in some way with his eyes . Not today , young man , not today . He waved old captain toward the door . Please forget my outburst . You are the first to come in here in a long time . Come back tomorrow and perhaps we'll talk .

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Old Captain finished his walk through the marketplace absently , walking by fire spitters and blacksmiths , but nothing seemed interesting to him since hearing the woman's voice in the old man's shop . Her song was stuck in his head . He returned to his ship and thought of that shell and the voice that came from it . Was she so small that she lived inside the shell , or was it the shell itself ? He couldn't stop thinking about it and got little sleep .

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The next day around mid-morning old Captain went back to Worldly Wares and Wiles . He found the old man smoking a pipe and heating some water for tea at a table in the far corner of the shop . The shopkeeper did not look up but motioned for Old Captain to take a cup of tea . He walked to the counter and took the tea and heard the clink of the shopkeeper's spoon against the rim of his mug . It was then the old cavalier realized the silence . There was no buzzing , no song , just the sound of flames in the hearth licking at wood . Actually , the shopkeeper said would you mind grabbing that bowl and dumping it into the terrarium ? Sure , old Captain said , what's in there ? Just a troublesome rodent . I haven't the heart to kill it .

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Old Captain picked up the bowl , which had a cover on it . He opened the terrarium and took the lid off the bowl , revealing a cricket . Old Captain peered into the glass cage and saw only bonsai trees , a dead piece of wood , like you'd find in a lizard terrarium , and an assortment of rocks . He did not see a mouse but felt like something inside was watching him . He dumped the cricket in and its long antenna searched its surroundings as it moved timidly about , but nothing came out from under the deadwood . Close it please , shopkeeper said . Old Captain closed the lid and joined the man with his tea .

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She wasn't always there , began the shopkeeper . It was a time when she walked the world like you and me . What is your name , friend , old Captain asked . The shopkeeper looked at him . I am sarin and you calidus , old captain said . But everyone calls me . Old captain , pleased to meet you . Likewise , old captain had a feeling that sarin was hiding something , but he could not figure out what .

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Sarin had an old robe , not unlike a wizardly robe , but it was frayed on the edges and seemed very , very old . It had multiple colors and small things attached to it like little twigs and what appeared to be fish bones . His face , neck and hands were the only parts of his body visible . He leaned heavily on his walking stick , a gnarled piece of what looked like driftwood . Sarin had a bad limp , almost as if one leg was shorter than the other . His steps looked painful .

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The two men sat in silence for a few moments . Old captain noticed then the faint presence of a familiar smell , that of fish . Sarin did not have any facial hair , nor even stubble . Old captain noticed the man's face was completely hairless , had an almost clammy look , but otherwise he was like any other old man with a limp , grumpy and terse . So old captain took a sip of tea . Who is she ? She was a daughter of the sea , and then she suffered a great loss . Hmm , old captain raised an eyebrow . What does that mean ? She was a mermaid . Old captain detected regret in the old man's voice . It was impossible to tell just how old this man was , for his skin had a smoothness to it like nothing old captain had ever seen . The hair on his head was gray and white and cut short . It was the only visible indication of age , aside from his cane and limb , was Old Captain was intrigued Are you saying she's no longer a mermaid ?

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Saren leaned back in his chair with a sigh and lit a long twisty pipe . He looked Old Captain up and down , perhaps sizing up his character again or worthiness to hear the tale he had to share . Your sons and daughters of the sea , mermen and mermaids , he said with a gesture of his pipe . They are known to have one great love in a lifetime and that love is whatsoever their eyes light upon , that lifts their hearts , and that love is whatsoever their eyes light upon , that lifts their hearts . When they lose that love , it can be devastating . Think of the great city of Atlantis , for example . Atlantis , the Atlantis ,

The Mermaid's Tale Begins

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the only one . The king there lost the love of his life and the city sank into the sea , never to be found again . As I said , devastating .

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He inclined his head toward the glass case , the large seashell For her . The loss of her love made her shrink to the size she is now . Old Captain considered this for a moment . He was deeply intrigued . He remembered her voice from the day before , how haunting and lovely it was to hear . Can I see her ? He asked . She hasn't come out of that shell in years . I scarcely recall what she looks like anymore . He took a long pull and blew the smoke , which came to life with a scene of history played out before old captain's eyes . Whoa , old captain leaned back to get a good look at the smoky scene .

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Let me tell you a story of love and loss . Saren said A long , long time ago there was a mermaid in the warm seas off a heavily forested coast . She was beautiful and she could sing . One day , when she was exploring the waters off the coast of some western land and singing as she often did , she spied someone on the shore listening . Wait , a second . Old captain interrupted . This story sounds familiar . Was this mermaid named Ariel ? No , the shopkeeper was offended . Absolutely not . I'm not telling you a cartoon story . Okay , okay , old captain put his hands up , please , sorry , continue . Shopkeeper took a sip of his tea too fast and burned his lip . The pipe smoke swirled again , showing old Captain Saren's words and actions .

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As I was saying , this man was shaped like a man , but also very different . He had bigger shoulders and long , muscular arms with powerful hands . He looked like he would survive anything . He had a beast in him . He was covered in thick fur , unlike any man she had ever seen before . She'd seen men on boats and ships and docks . Before . They always wore outer skins , strange scales , to cover their bodies , arms and legs . This man wore none of that . Fur was his only clothing . Are you sure it wasn't a bear ? Old Captain asked . It was not a bear . Now shush , all right , sorry , sorry .

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Old Captain had more questions , but he decided to wait and just listen to the strange man . The furry man and the mermaid made eye contact and in that moment something changed in both of them . She liked his wide smile , his eyes filled with kindness and even a hint of danger . But there was something else in them that only she could see . Then , suddenly , fearing she'd lingered too long , she left and swam home . She would return the next day and the day after , and so on , but careful not to linger or stare too long .

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Sometimes she noticed he would not be in the water , but most days he was there on the edge of the forest , obscured by trees , but she could see him . She wondered then if he was not hiding from something , though she did not suspect it was her . It was as if he was waiting for her . When she was away . She found herself wondering about him when she swam in the deep . What did he smell like ? What was his name ? How did his voice sound when he spoke ? He was interesting . He was something new , she wondered , even if he wondered the same about her .

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She did not tell any of her mermaid or merman friends of this man-creature . She kept him a secret to herself and would find excuses to leave the coral kingdom to look for him at the coast of the northwestern woods . She could not know then that he risked much , if not more , seeing her . She also did not know that there was one of her own kind , a merman , who had in fact noticed her stealing away to see the man-creature and watched her with jealous eyes .

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For weeks they continued this delicate dance of hiding in the trees or the waves for a mere peek at one another , the occasional long look , the longing , reverend gaze . Yet they had not spoken , not touched . So , old captain interjected , just so I have this straight . Old Captain interjected . Just so I have this straight . We're talking about a mermaid , maradryl , saren interjected . Old Captain took a beat to get it Okay . He nodded Maradryl , who is a mermaid , one of the most mystical creatures of folklore , and what A yeti .

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The shopkeeper shot Old Captain a stern look . The cavalier felt a sudden twinge of unease but discarded it . He's not a yeti . Have you been listening ? Yetis live in the Himalayas . You know the abominable snowman . That's a yeti . Come on ,

Forbidden Love Across Elements

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do you even want to hear this story or not ? All right , all right . Old Captain put his hands up again . Sorry , saren scoffed and shook his head . Under his breath he murmured You're a Yeti . Old Captain heard that and could not help . A , you are under his . Alt-captain heard that and could not help a , you are under his .

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After a moment of quiet the story continued . Alt-captain took a sip of his tea . It had a strange flavor . He couldn't quite figure . Just then he thought he heard something from deep inside the shop . He glanced over to see the terrarium and what he assumed was the cricket he'd placed in earlier , frantically trying to climb the glass . He squinted his eyes to see better , but suddenly the cricket was smashed up against the glass by some force and then quickly taken away . Old Captain muttered that's some mouse . As I was saying , saren continued before I was so rudely interrupted .

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Sometimes at night she would sneak away from her coral home and bring gifts of pretty shells and stones . She'd found on the sea floor evidence that she'd been thinking of him . On some moonlit nights she would find he had responded in kind , leaving pretty stones dug from the earth that he had rubbed to a fine polish , along with flowers or pine cones , evidence that he had been thinking of her . This was how they spoke to each other for some time . There were days when they did not see each other . Sometimes those days strung together , making the moments they caught a glimpse of one another all the more memorable . Then , one night , when the moon was a sliver in the sky , they met in the shallows . It was the first time she'd seen him touch the sea . He'd walked out into the waves enough to feel the water up to his furry midsection . She used her powerful tail to rise out of the water enough to meet his gaze . When she looked up At last , they were face to face . There . In that bare moonlight , their hearts met .

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Fulton raised his hand timidly . He almost felt like a child in a classroom again , one who was unintentionally annoying the teacher . Saren stopped . What now ? Said the shopkeeper , sorry , but does this yet ? I mean Sasquatch or whatever have a name . Bob said Saren , bob , really . This time old captain shot Saren an incredulous look , as in B-O-B Bob , yes , bob , old captain shook his head . Bob , and Maradril , he chuckled Sounds like a retired couple from the Midwest . May I continue . Did they play euchre ? Are you finished ? Saren said yes , sorry . Anyway , saren began for the umpteenth time .

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That night they stayed under the stars and got to know each other . He was a Sasquatch , she a mermaid . They could not have been more different . And yet , underneath , their hearts seemed to beat in tune with one another , as one . For them , it felt as if time had stopped moving and carved out a little pocket of the universe just for them , in that they lived as long as they could . And there , in that very spot where the tide pooled in and was calm for the rocks that sheltered it from the breaking waves , it was their spot , each other's company .

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Sometimes she would get him to come out as far as his chest into the water , just to where he would lose some footing and might resist going further . In turn , he would bring her up onto the beach and there she could feel the weight of her body against the earth . She studied his legs , how they moved , how legs might fit on her body . She wanted to walk in the forest meadows with him . He longed to swim with her when Maradril was home . She imagined having legs and walking In the water .

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She was free , she could move any which way she desired , at a mere twitch of her tail . On land , however , she was anchored and heavy . What a feeling it was to be so tethered , to belong to the earth . It was at first overwhelming , an unbearable feeling , but then , as she got used to it and perhaps because of her company , it became comforting . At home she could just float away , tied to nothing save the invisible bonds of family . But up there she belonged to him and he belonged to her . She started to daydream of what it would be like to have toes . What would it feel like to grab the earth between your toes , to feel sand moving beneath you ? What would it be like to run or to climb ? In turn , bob told her how he wondered about her worth . What would it be like to feel weightless , free to move like a bird does in the sky .

Danger in Paradise

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He confessed to her a deep fear of the sea , of not wanting to go into any water where he could not see what was beneath him . She loved him more for that confession and he loved her more for hearing it . What it really is , I don't even like to say the word Bob said cautiously I don't know if there's something like Leviathan His face crinkled up when he said the word . Maradra looked at him with a kind , gentle smile and spoke . A twinkle of mischief in her eyes oh , there is . Bob's eyes went wide . Maradrell kissed Bob and said His name's Lewis and he prefers to be called a Kraken .

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One day Maradril swam away from the Coral Kingdom and found the waves at the surface were choppy due to a storm turning above . She did not know that she was followed , that she had been followed and watched for weeks by that time or that someone desired her company more than words could convey . When she got to the usual spot where Bob would hide among the pine trees and conifers , she saw something different . The sky above rumbled and turned with dark clouds . Old Captain listened with all his intention to the smoky visage of playing out before him . Shops seemed to get a bit darker throughout as the story went on . He wondered what time it was now and was vaguely aware of being hungry .

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Saren was still talking . There were trees toppled and cut down , their white wooden flesh , bared to the world , toppled and cut down , their white wooden flesh , bared to the world . Men with machines , men , nothing like Bob , her man-creature . These were the kind of men she'd seen on ships and docks , or great standing platforms with legs like giant crabs that plunged spears into the seafloor to siphon the earth's black marrow , the marrow that men . So covet . Old Captain felt like the room was closing in , and yet that smoky scene playing out before him was getting big enough to fill the sky . Saren did not stop telling the story . The men had already erected a long arm of wood that reached out over the water . It was there to give them something solid to walk on when they left the great shells of wood and steel they used to carry themselves over the ocean's back . How had they done this so quickly ? They were all over harvesting trees , loading their lifeless limbs into contraptions with wheels , into contraptions with wheels .

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Meridro did not see Bob anywhere . She became worried . The men's machines , great , screaming and growling metal beasts that ripped and tore the earth and trees made such noise that she could even hear it underwater , scanning the shoreline frantically . She then saw him . He'd been hiding among some fallen trees . He saw her and it looked like he was waving , but it was not a friendly wave . It was different . When she waved back , he shook his head vigorously , as she knew then that his waves were for her to leave . She saw fear in his face , whether fear for himself or fear for her , she could not tell . Saw fear in his face , whether fear for himself or fear for her , she could not tell . She wanted him to come to her in the water , thinking perhaps that she could somehow protect him . She realized then that she did not even know if he could swim , for he'd always just waited out to meet her but never gone beyond the surf hitting his chest . Waves whipped the wooden planks of the ships parked offshore . As the wind picked up considerably , the storm was upon them . Maradril saw Bob then as he slipped out in the open from the wound the men created in the tree line . She swam closer , men ran for shelter , apparently unaware of the beast , and the mermaid Saren's voice started to sound different then , almost as if it was bigger , filling the whole shop .

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Old Captain was so thoroughly engrossed in the story he only just realized he was starving and had not eaten anything all day . What time is it , he asked ? Saren did not answer , but kept telling the story . Old Captain's head was foggy and he felt the sensation that he was sinking into the wicker chair . It dawned on him then that he hadn't moved since Saren started talking earlier that day . He'd been sitting there for so long listening to Saren weave the tail of the mermaid in the Sasquatch . Saren's voice filled his head now , and that's when it happened .

Old Captain's Predicament

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When what happened , Old Captain could hear himself slurring . Now , oh no , old Captain saw that the man had become a giant . This Saren reached out over with a gigantic hand . No , old Captain saw that the man had become a giant . This Saren reached out over with a gigantic hand and covered Old Captain up and everything went dark . See you next time on . Show Me the Old Captain's Story . Captain Story .