Lighthouse
Once upon a time on a SMALL gray island, there was no lighthouse keeper.
Skawiński
An OLD Pole came to the United States consul’s office. He WANTED to get a job at the WHITE lighthouse.
“WHAT’s your name?” asked the consul.
“Skawiński” the man replied.
“HOW OLD are you?” asked the consul.
“I’m almost seventy YEARS OLD.” Skawiński replied.
“WHAT did you do in your life?” asked the consul.
“I worked in many places.
I searched for YELLOW gold in Australia. I looked for diamonds in Africa.
I ran a FARM in the USA but the FARM was destroyed.
I traded in South America. There, I had a disaster. My BROWN boat crashed on the Amazon RIVER. I was HELPLESS in the GREEN FOREST.
I worked on TWO ships. I even caught gray WHALES.
NOW I WANT peace.” answered Skawinski.
“Okay. I will give you this job. You can start right away” said the consul.
Pan Tadeusz
ONE DAY, with a FOOD package, Skawiński received a special book. It was an important Polish book – Pan Tadeusz. He started to read and fell asleep.
WHITE seagulls woke up Skawiński. They WANTED some FOOD. Skawiński gave them BROWN BREAD. He went back to reading and fell asleep again.
The accident
He heard a voice: “Wake up” said John, the port GUARD.
“You didn’t light the WHITE lantern. The gray ship crashed. You’re lucky no one DIED. You’re fired,” the GUARD said.
The end
Skawiński had to start a NEW journey. This time, he had ONE Polish book. It reminded him of ONE country – Poland.
The story takes place in the 1870s near Panama.
On a SMALL island, there was no lighthouse keeper.
WHO came to the island?
An almost 70-YEARS–OLD Pole named Skawiński started to work as a lighthouse keeper.
WHY was Skawiński’s life tough?
He left Poland and traveled a lot. He was LONELY. He had BAD luck many times.
He searched for gold in Australia and worked as a MINER in a diamond mine in Africa.
He worked on a FARM in the United States for a while. The land was dry and there was no RAIN either. He had to close the FARM.
He was a trader in South America, but his boat crashed on the Amazon RIVER.
In the United States he worked as a blacksmith, but his workshop burned down.
He also worked as a SAILOR but his ship was destroyed.
He FELT miserable in his life. He WANTED to become a lighthouse keeper to find peace.
WHAT was inside the package?
ONE DAY, in a FOOD package Skawiński found a Polish book. The lighthouse keeper was very moved and HAPPY. He had not SEEN his homeland and the Polish language for 40 YEARS. He immediately started reading the book. This book was Pan Tadeusz. The book describes the spirit of the Polish nation. He fell asleep.
The WIND flew into the lighthouse. Skawiński was reading. He closed his eyes and DREAMED about his homeland.
WHAT happened next?
Unfortunately, memories of his homeland caused Skawiński to forget to light the lantern.
The port GUARD John woke up Skawiński. “Are you ILL?” John asked.
“No,” replied the lighthouse keeper.
“The ship crashed because you didn’t light the lantern. You’re lucky no one DIED, but you lost your job,” said the GUARD.
HOW did the story end?
Skawiński had to leave his job as a lighthouse keeper. He had to look for another place. On his next journey, he took a Polish book. He didn’t FEEL LONELY anymore.
This story took place in the 1870s, in the nineteenth century.
The lighthouse
Once upon a time, on a SMALL island near Panama, there was a vacancy for a lighthouse keeper.
The work of a lighthouse keeper is HARD and LONELY. He works in the same place, every DAY, alone. Only a SMALL boat with a FOOD comes once a day.
Skawiński
An OLD Pole named Skawiński volunteered to work at the lighthouse. He left his homeland many YEARS earlier. Skawiński traveled a lot. His life was full of DIFFICULT experiences.
Skawiński’s life story
He left Poland after the November Uprising. He took part in independence struggles for example in Spain, Hungary and the United States. He also TRIED to work in different places.
He searched for gold in Australia. He worked in a diamond mine in Africa.
He ran a FARM in California in the United States for some time. However, he had to close it because of the drought.
LATER he TRIED to trade with wild tribes in South America. Unfortunately, he experienced misfortune: his boat was destroyed in the Amazon RIVER. He was harmless and almost naked. He wandered through the FOREST for several weeks.
In Arkansas in the United States he set up a blacksmith workshop, unfortunately once again he was unlucky because his workshop burned down.
He served as a SAILOR on a ship sailing between America and Europe. He also worked as a harpooner on a whaler: both ships were wrecked.
He DREAMED of peace and a sense of security. He believed that working in a lighthouse would fulfill his DREAMS in OLD age.
Pan Tadeusz
Unexpectedly, ONE DAY, a package arrived for Skawiński along with FOOD.
Skawiński was SURPRISED when he opened it and SAW Polish books. He could not believe WHAT he SAW. He FORGOT that many YEARS earlier he had been sending money to the Polish Society in New York. The society WANTED to repay him by sending Polish books.
The lighthouse keeper was very moved, and tears came to his eyes. It was forty YEARS ago when he LEFT Poland and SAW the Polish language for the last time.
The book was Pan Tadeusz – a very important poem for Poles, which describes the spirit of the Polish nation. Skawiński cried and was very moved. He realized that he was very LONELY and he almost FORGOT his homeland.
He closed his eyes and went back to his SMALL HOME VILLAGE in his DREAM. He SEE Polish landscapes. He remembered his life there. He FELT that Poland was closer than ever.
The accident
He was sleeping and DREAMING of Poland. He FORGOT to light the lantern.
Suddenly he heard a voice: “Are you ILL?” – asked the port GUARD John.
“No,” replied Skawiński.
“You FORGOT to light the lantern yesterday. That’s why the ship crashed. You’re lucky no one DIED. But you lost your job,” said the GUARD.
THE NEXT DAY Skawiński had to leave the lighthouse and set off into the unknown once again. However, he took a Polish book, which he held tightly to his heart. He didn’t FEEL LONELY anymore. He FELT as if he was taking Poland with him.
