Captains Courageous facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Rudyard Kipling |
|---|---|
| Original title | "Captains Courageous": A Story of the Grand Banks |
| Illustrator | Isaac Walton Taber |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Adventure, Nautical, Juvenile |
| Set in | Grand Banks, Gloucester, Gilded Age |
| Published | 1897 |
| Publisher | Doubleday, Doran (US), Macmillan and Co. (UK) |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 245 (Hardcover, First edition) |
| ISBN | 0-89577-601-4 |
| OCLC | 1010271996 |
| 823.8 | |
| LC Class | PR4854 |
| Text | Captains Courageous at Wikisource |
Captains Courageous is an exciting adventure novel written by Rudyard Kipling in 1897. It tells the story of a rich, spoiled fifteen-year-old boy named Harvey Cheyne Jr. His life changes completely after he falls off a ship in the Atlantic Ocean. A kind Portuguese fisherman saves him from drowning.
The story first appeared in parts, like a TV show, in McClure's magazine from November 1896 to May 1897. Later that year, it was published as a full book. It was first released in the United States and then in the United Kingdom. This is the only novel Kipling wrote that is set entirely in America. Even Teddy Roosevelt, who later became president, praised the book in 1900. He said Kipling did a great job showing "just what a boy should be and do."
The book's title comes from an old song called "Mary Ambree." The song begins with the line, "When captains courageous, whom death could not daunt."
Contents
Story of Captains Courageous
The main character, Harvey Cheyne Jr., is the son of a very rich railroad boss and his wife. They live in San Diego, California. One day, Harvey is on a large steamship crossing the Atlantic. He accidentally falls overboard and is rescued by the crew of a fishing schooner called We're Here. This ship is fishing off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.
Harvey tries to tell the crew how rich he is. He demands they take him back to port right away. But the crew, especially Captain Disko Troop, don't believe him. They think he's just a regular boy. Harvey even accuses the captain of stealing his money, which was actually still on the deck where he fell. Captain Troop gets angry and gives Harvey a bloody nose. But he agrees to let Harvey work as a crew member until they return to port. Harvey slowly starts to accept his new, tough life.
As time passes, Harvey learns a lot about fishing. With help from Dan Troop, the captain's son, Harvey becomes very good at the fishing lifestyle. The book shares many exciting stories about cod fishing and life at sea in the 1800s. It describes the adventures of the We're Here during a whole fishing season.
Finally, the We're Here returns to port. Harvey quickly sends a message to his parents. They rush to Boston, Massachusetts, and then to the fishing town of Gloucester to find him. Harvey's mother thanks Manuel, the fisherman who first saved her son. Harvey's father is so impressed that he hires Dan to work on his fancy tea clipper ships. Harvey then goes to Stanford University to get ready to take over his father's shipping businesses.
How the Book Was Written
Rudyard Kipling wrote Captains Courageous when he was living in Brattleboro, Vermont. He later shared how he got ideas for the book.
Kipling said that his doctor, James Conland, had worked on fishing boats when he was young. This helped Kipling decide to write a book about fishing. He explained that he and Dr. Conland visited the docks in Boston. They ate at sailors' restaurants and talked to old shipmates. They even helped tugboats move large schooners around the harbor. Kipling loved hearing all the old stories and details about the ships. He wanted to capture the feeling of American life that was starting to change.
Kipling also wanted his characters to travel very fast across America in the story. He asked a real railroad boss for help. This person sent him a detailed train schedule. It included everything like where to stop for water, when to change engines, and how long it would take. Kipling said even a "corpse could not have gone wrong" with the schedule!
In the book, Harvey's parents travel from San Diego to Boston in their private train car, the "Constance." They travel as a special train, pulled by many different locomotives. Their train gets priority over many other trains. They change engines very quickly. The whole trip across the country takes only 87 hours and 35 minutes.
Kipling also mentioned that a real railroad boss was so impressed after reading the book that he tried to beat Kipling's fictional train time with his own private car!
Movie and TV Versions
Captains Courageous has been made into movies and TV shows several times:
- In 1937, a movie called Captains Courageous was released. It starred Spencer Tracy, who won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role.
- In 1977, it was made into a TV movie.
- In 1996, another TV movie version was created.
There was also a musical play called Captains Courageous, The Musical in 1999.
Other Uses of the Name
Sometimes, the phrase "Captain Courageous" is used to praise a brave leader of a group or team. For example, a sports commentator once called a cricket player "Captain Courageous."
