Captain Ned Little was fierce despite his name. He and his crew of 16 managed to rule the seas surrounding the Caribbean taking what they wished and living lives of luxury.
During their regular plunder on a small Bahamian island, they’d found their biggest treasure yet. For Captain Little, it was the top pirating achievement. The 16 men and their captain began to divvy up the gold and jewels until one man shot up his arm with a little blue pot. “Aye, Captain! What shall we do with this?” Captain Little called his mate over to inspect it further, then took it and tucked it in his side pocket.
After the back breaking trip to unload the new booty on the ship, the captain returned to his plush cabin where he pulled out the little blue pot and set it across from his bedside.
The next morning when he woke he looked over to see that the little blue pot had become a little shinier than it was the night prior, but he went about his usual pirating business. The next morning he noticed it was, yet again, shinier than before. And the next morning… and the next.
He finally called his first mate, Willie, to take a look. Willie shrugged his shoulders, took a sip out of his newly acquired, silver chalice and said he didn’t notice anything particularly special.
And again, the next morning it became even shinier. “It’s nearly blinding,” thought the captain.
Captain Little became obsessive over the little blue pot. He stopped sleeping to watch its surface become brighter. He soon became unaware of what was happening on the ship around him. His crew noticed it was affecting his ability to lead.
Two months ago, when the band of fierce, yet loyal pirates found the treasure they would never have thought to abandon their captain. Let alone, take his share of the booty. But all Captain Little seemed to care about was the little blue pot.
Little by little the crew removed the treasure from the captain’s quarters ever so gently and quietly, a mannerism that was quite unusual for a band of pirates. The captain never noticed.
For several more months he still did not notice. And finally, the crew wanted a new leader. They’d been sitting ducks for months and their new treasure now felt old.
Again, ever so gently, they removed the captain from his quarters never allowing his view of the little blue pot to be obstructed.
The crew of 16 said a goodbye to their beloved captain who had not spoken for 3 months. He sat cross-legged in the sand on a small island where they placed him, the blue pot sat in front of him. One by one the crew said their tearful goodbyes to the captain’s unmoving and expressionless face. Some left a bottle of rum, others a piece of dried meat. In a line, the crew walked back to the ship, pulled up the anchor and sailed away.