Arthur Ransome's 'We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea' Quiz

Answer: Red

The Goblin, sailed by Jim Brading, is first described when the Swallows see her, as 'a little white cutter with red sails'.

Answer: Penny whistle

Grog is what the Swallows call ginger beer (pop or soda). Pemmican can be corned beef. A Penny Farthing is a very old fashioned type of bicycle that would not have been a welcome addition on Goblin. Roger can very nearly play the penny whistle.

Answer: North shelf

They anchor just past the North shelf buoy while Jim Brading decides to row ashore and fetch petrol.

Answer: Titty

Both Titty and Susan started to feel ill about the same time, but poor Titty was the first to actually be sick. Seasickness was suffered even by England's greatest sailor, Admiral Lord Nelson, so no one should ever feel ashamed!

Answer: Reef the sail

The boat had a full sail, which was being filled by the strong wind and making it very hard to steer. To reef the sail means making the sail smaller (in this case by winding it around the boom) to make it easier to sail. If you fly kites on a windy day you will notice that a bigger kite will pull much harder than a smaller one - this is the same thing.

Answer: Chunks of pork pie and bottles of ginger beer

Susan's not quite over her seasickness, so doesn't want to stay down for long. All the wrong answers were also meals in the book. Pea soup and omelette was the meal Jim Brading fell asleep over in Pin Mill. Jim's boiled eggs were the first sign he was missing and Susan made their father his favourite scrambled eggs after their reunion. Susan was very sensible to get on deck again - if you are ever seasick on a big boat (like a ferry), try to get on deck in the fresh air where you can see the sea - it really helps!

Answer: Emily

After the fog and wind and rain, plus a telegram from her husband saying he's soon crossing, Mrs. Walker was quite anxious. Emily's crew told her Goblin was safely moored and Roger was playing the penny whistle, so Mrs. Walker stopped worrying. If she'd known they were halfway to Holland she'd have really worried!

Answer: A chicken coop

Titty quotes 'A Ballad of John Silver' by John Masefield when she sees the coop, then they discover the half-drowned kitten, rescue it and call it Sinbad, after another famous shipwreck victim.

Answer: Flushing (Vlissingen)

All the answers are in Holland, but Flushing - now Vlissingen - is where the friendly pilot takes them. As far as I can see, ferries still go from Flushing, but the route that most people take is Harwich to The Hook.

Answer: Skipper

Sometimes the pilot calls him 'boy' and sometimes 'mynheer' (Mr. or sir) as a sort of joke, John guesses. But when he discovers John's exploits he is very impressed and respectfully calls him Capten (Captain). John's father calls him 'skipper'.

Answer: 'You'll be a seaman yet, my son'

I'm not ashamed to admit this bit, when John realises just how proud his father is of him, brings a tear to my eyes! Have you ever noticed how a kind word can make you cry when a scolding doesn't?

Answer: It was bright blue, not clear

This may get confusing! John's father asked for petrol (what Americans call gasoline). This should have been clear, but the liquid was bright blue, so John's father sniffed it and discovered it was what the English call paraffin (but the Dutch called benzine). See, even if everyone thinks they understand, there can still be confusion!

Answer: The Sunk lightship

John takes over to steer to it - but Sunk seems a funny name for a ship to me - almost tempting fate!

Answer: Bill

The chatty conductor on the bus Jim catches from hospital tells the whole bus how Jim, carrying the petrol can, ran straight into Bill's bus and how Bill was sick. So don't run under buses - it upsets the drivers.

Answer: Yes

She's speaking very quietly, but the children know she's really upset. Have you noticed it's much worse to be scolded quietly than shouted at? Luckily, her husband explains all, and I'm sure she'll be as proud of them as he was.