One World

49) Finding Utopia

Posted 6th December 2016

500 years ago a beer bottle washed up on the beach of a small island. A fisherman picked it up and retrieved a piece of paper sealed within the bottle. There was writing on the paper, so the man took it to the only person on the island who could read, a young scholar called Margaret. When Margaret began to read the message she burst into tears.

"What's the matter?" said the fisherman.

"It's a message from my father!" said Margaret, now smiling, "He's alive!"

By now, other villagers had begun to gather around, curious about the contents of the piece of paper.

"What does it read?" said an elderly lady.

"Read it out then!" said a brutish young man.

"I shall," said Margaret, "But first gather the whole village, I think this affects everyone. We'll meet under the big tree at nightfall."

That evening the whole village gathered around a fire near a large oak tree in the middle of the village.

"Thank you for coming everyone," began Margaret, "I..."

"Get on with it!" shouted a woman.

"Oh, all right," said Margaret, feeling a little flustered now, "This is what the message says...

Dearest Margaret,

I pray this letter finds you safe and well. You must have thought me lost at sea, and I do not have the means to return to you. Some 40 days after I left the island, on an exploratory expedition travelling due South, I sighted land. I was very thirsty after losing my beer bottles from the crate during a storm, so I was keen to make landfall quickly. In my haste, my boat foundered on rocks and sank from under me. Mercifully, the near empty wooden beer crate (there was one empty bottle in it) floated past me and I was able to use it to swim the mile or so to shore.

The island I have found is beautiful. The trees and bushes are abundant in fruit and berries. The land is fertile for crops. There are clean freshwater streams running off the mountainside. I have explored the whole island and I find it to be a perfect new home for our village.

I used the notepaper and pencil in my pocket to write this message. I will put the message in the only beer bottle to survive the storm at sea. Then, when the Winter comes and the wind is blowing northwards, I will release the bottle to the sea. I hope this finds my home village, so you can all come here to begin again."

"Is that it?" shouted a man, "How are we meant to find the new island from that?"

"It's 40 days due South," said the fisherman, "I can navigate by the stars. I'll offload the first 100 people, then I'll come back and collect the other 100."

"Why two trips?" shouted a woman.

"We only have one ship, and it can only carry 100 people and their supplies," said the fisherman.

"Then who is going to be left behind to wait at least 80 days just for the ship to return?" said a woman, "The crop harvest has been awful this year. The fields are almost barren through years of over-farming."

"The nobles and guards will go first," said the brutish young man. "We are your betters, your masters, and your role as peasantry is to serve us. You will stock the ship with all the grain and fruit, and keep only what you need for 80 days."

"But the peasants will need supplies for their trip too!" said the fisherman, "At least another 40 days supply!"

"We'll send food back with the ship," said the brutish young man, "Fresh fruit and berries picked from the new island."