Deno All Alone

Deno lived in a lighthouse with her mother and father. The lighthouse was made of stone, and built on a bank of small stones, with the light high up on the top. There was sea all around, but land was not far away, and when food and coal and oil were running low, the family usually went across to the town in their boat to do the shopping.

Deno liked to go to town, and play and talk for a while with her friends. But she liked the lighthouse, too, with the gulls that flew by in the day-time, and the light that shone out at night. She knew how important it was to keep the light burning at nights so that the ships could see it and not go near the dangerous rocks.

Deno's birthday was in March, and every year when her birthday was coming, there was, of course, very special shopping for her mother and father to do when they went to town. But one year, March was wild and stormy. The waves were very high and the sea roared.

“We can’t go ashore today,” said Deno's father. “Perhaps the weather will be better tomorrow.”

He said this many times, but days and days went by, and still the storm continued.

A week passed. There was very little food left in the house.

“We mustn’t eat so much,” said Deno’s mother with a smile.

“The weather will change soon,” said her father. But it didn’t change.

Eight days passed — nine days, ten days, eleven days — two weeks. Deno’s birthday came, and still the boat couldn’t cross the angry sea.

Every day the family watched the sea. Then came a day when the only food in the house was one loaf of bread. “We’ll have to go today,” said Deno’s father. He watched and waited for a chance. The sea was as high as ever, but later on the wind was not so strong.

“Now,” he said.

He had decided that his wife should go with him to help carry the provisions to the boat, but that Deno should stay at home in the lighthouse.

“We won’t be long,” said Deno’s mother.

When the mother and father reached the shore, they quickly collected food, oil and coal, and hurried back to the boat. At any moment the wind might grow stronger again. But as they ran to the place where they had left the boat, they saw that they were too late. The wind was blowing more strongly than before, and the waves were greater and more terrible than they had been. No small boat could ride on such a sea.

There were some fishermen standing near.

“You can’t go back today,’’ they said.

“But I must,” cried the lighthouse keeper? “I must light the lamp in the lighthouse. Besides Deno is all alone out there, and she is hungry.”

“Try my motor boat,” said someone. But even the motor boat could not go out in such a storm.

Sadly Deno’s father and mother returned to the shore. It was impossible to get to the lighthouse in that sea.

Meanwhile Deno was sitting in a chair and reading a book. It was an interesting book, so the time passed quickly. She felt very hungry at dinner time— but never mind. Mother and Father would soon be back with plenty of food. And oh, what a fine dinner they would have then.

Afternoon came, but Mother and Father did not come back. Deno knew they would not visit friends today. She knew they would come back as quickly as possible, before the storm grew worse. She put down her book and looked out of the window.

The storm had grown worse. Oh dear! It was worse than it had been all the past three weeks. Deno knew that Mother and Father would not be able to get back that night.

“Oh well,” she thought, “I can eat the rest of the loaf now. I shall have a good meal tomorrow and a fire to keep me warm when Mother and Father come home.” She cut a slice off the loaf of bread, and while she was eating it, she started to cut another. Then she thought, “Perhaps I'd better not eat it all — just in case —”

The afternoon passed slowly. Deno had a drink of water, just for something to do. She said to herself, “I’ll go to bed very early, before it gets dark, and I’ll lie in bed and read. I’ll keep warmer that way, and perhaps I’ll finish my book.”

Then a thought came to her. It came so suddenly that she stopped, with the cup held to her lips? “The light. What about the light? I’ll have to keep it burning. I’d better see to it quickly before it gets dark.”

She put on her coat, and tied a scarf round her head.

It was not easy to light the lamp. Deno had to climb up a ladder outside the tower, climb up and up in the wind. And at the top there was a heavy iron door to open. She would have to climb through the doorway, and light the lamp. Even Father found it hard work to do in bad weather.

Deno was cold and hungry, and as she went out of the door of the lighthouse, she fell at once how terrible the wind was. She started to climb the ladder. The higher she climbed, the harder it became. The wind was blowing wildly.

What a long, long way up it seemed. What a long way! She felt she was so hungry. Her hands were so cold, and her lips tasted salty like the sea. What a long way up, and up, and up.

At last she reached the top. There was the iron door in front of her eyes. She had only to open it and climb through. She pulled at the door. It did not move. It was heavy,— an iron door, and the wind was blowing against it. She pulled and pulled.

“I’ll have to leave it,” she said to herself at last. “I can’t light the lamp.”

She rested a moment, and there came into her mind the thought of ships out in the storm. Soon it would be dark, quite dark. Sailors would be looking for the lighthouse beam. How would they find their way without the light to guide them? If she didn’t light the lamp, some ships might get on the rocks and be destroyed tonight. She must light the lamp. She must.

Once more Deno pulled and pulled at the iron door, and this time it opened.

Away on the shore, her mother and father were worrying about her, and worrying about the light. Ships might he lost in the storm. Darkness was falling now, and they could hardly see the lighthouse. Sadly they looked across the angry water, and suddenly a beam of light shone out, clearly, brightly. Deno had lit the lamp, and all night long it shone for the ships at sea.

Morning came, and still the storm continued. Several brave fishermen tried to get boats out to the lighthouse, but they failed. Everyone knew that Deno was hungry, yet no one could do anything to help her. Yet, when night came, the light shone out bravely across the water once more. Deno had lit the lamp for the second time.

The next day, the same thing happened. The storm was wilder than ever. Boats tried to reach the lighthouse, and failed again. Derm's mother and father were almost ill with worry. For three days and nights now, Deno had been all alone. Would no one ever be able to help her? Would her mother and father never get through the stormy sea and bring food for her and oil for the lamp? To Deno it all seemed like a strange lonely dream, that went on and on, day and night.

Suddenly in the afternoon of the fourth day she saw a boat, “Oh,” whispered Deno. “At last. At last.” Soon the boat was at the landing place. Mother and Father were climbing out, with food and coal and oil. They were home again. Deno was saved.