Captain Leeward took the deck –her hair fiery red.
Gnarl the Pirate’s last words echoing in her head:
“You can search the Citrus Isles for a lifetime at your leisure,
sail for a hundred years, and still never find my treasure.”
No jokes as they sailed toward the Isle of Plum.
Those Citrus Island seas –treacherous as they come.
To avoid jagged rocks Leeward turned her ship fast!
Each island she sailed to might be her last.
For such a harrowing journey it was hard to prepare,
Ol’ Gnarl’s chest of treasure could be buried anywhere.
Perhaps on the East Isles: Kiwi, Banana, Plum, or Cherry,
Not to mention Apricot, Lemon, Lime, or Strawberry.
Or on the West Isles: Mango, Grape, Pear, Pineapple,
Nectarine, or Blueberry, even Orange, or Apple.
On the shore of Plum Island, no gold to be found,
Just one taunting letter stuck into the ground:
“You’ve guessed incorrectly you accursed sea-snake
Purple’s not the color of the Island’s namesake.”
Undeterred captain Leeward once again set her sail,
Toward Banana Island through a freak storm of thick hail.
Arriving there safely with a bit of good luck,
Once again in the sand, there a letter was stuck:
“You’re wasting your time if yellow fruits you do chase,
but primary colors are not at all that off base.”
Leeward aimed her ship back toward those dark perilous seas,
East toward Cherry Island, against a strong ocean breeze.
Past a whirlpool she sailed, a narrow escape,
As she reached Cherry Island’s eastern most cape.
To her great dismay for the third time she did view,
Not a chest, but another insulting Gnarl clue.
“With treasure hunters like you there was hardly any need to hide it,
The correct isle’s fruit has no seeds inside it.”
Not sure what to do, somewhat tired, but not very,
She aimed her ship west, toward the isle of Blueberry.
To make matters even worse as she started on her way,
Was the bit of bad news her first mate did convey:
“Odds that our ship holds up much longer are poor,
We can only safely sail… to one island more.”
On the outskirts of those east Island seas,
The captain rethought her analyses.
Suddenly with an “Ah Ha!” the entire crew heard her shout,
At the very last moment she turned the whole ship about.
“Old Gnarl was misleading but never actually lied,
A strawberry’s seeds are on the OUTSIDE.”
Past the jagged coral reef of the Strawberry Isle,
The crew came ashore walking out single file.
With no note to be found Leeward’s crew started to dig,
Soon reaching a chest that was shockingly big.
Her crew hoisted the chest and then cleared her a space,
Enough gold for ten lifetimes shined up in her face.