ondering

ome time ago Baron Von Lodge was the head of a small country near Switzerland known as Lilliland.

Much to the concern of his fiancée, Lady Angela, and his chief advisor, Professor Hamblin, the Baron liked to sail alone while he pondered the many problems of Lilliland.

The pondering would take place on a small sailboat in the middle of a rather large Lake Lilliland very early in the morning. Then on one such morning while the Baron was sailing out in the middle of Lake Lilliland, he was far out enough that no one on shore could see him.

A terrible storm came up out of nowhere and blew the Baron’s small sailboat upside down throwing the Baron into the choppy water.

The Baron was missing and after a thorough search people were starting to think the Baron had drowned. Lady Angela and Professor Hamblin grew sadder as each hour passed. What would Lilliland do if the Baron were lost?

Fortunately, a fisherman in a large fishing boat spotted the Baron and saved him. The fisherman did not know whom he had saved. The wet and bewildered Baron thanked the fisherman for saving him and asked what he might do to repay him for his bravery.

The fisherman said he did not wish anything, that it was just one fisherman in distress helping another fisherman. But the fisherman added that he could use some help fishing for the rest of the day. The Baron quickly agreed.

When the fisherman returned to the dock and learned that he had saved the Baron, he was surprised. The Baron asked the fisherman to come to the castle the following evening for dinner. The fisherman agreed.

At the meeting at the castle, the Baron asked the fisherman again what he might give him for his bravery and kindness. The fisherman said, “Nothing at all.” The Baron offered the fisherman a boat from the Lilliland fleet and again the fisherman politely declined.

Finally, “Let my boat yard give your boat a fresh coat of paint and give you some more fishing gear.” To this offer the fisherman agreed.

Sometime later, when the Baron discussed the sailing with the Professor and Lady Angela, they came to an agreement. The agreement was that future pondering at sea in the morning would be on a larger boat with a crew of two from the Lilliland Castle security guard naval staff.

The guards on the sailboat would be very quiet and not interfere with the Baron’s pondering.