Fifteen year old captain is short. Foreign literature is abbreviated. All works of the school curriculum in a summary. The unsightly death of the leader

6TH GRADE

JULES VERNE

CAPTAIN AT FIFTEEN

(Summary)

Part one

Sections I-VI

On February 2, 1873, the schooner-brig "Pilgrim" was at 43 "37" South latitude and 165 ° 19 "West longitude (from the Grіnvich Meridian). On board the schooner, which was equipped for whaling, were the brave captain Hull, five sailors, fifteen-year-old orphan Dick Sand, ship's cook Negoro, as well as the wife of the owner of the schooner - Mrs. Weldon with their five-year-old son Jack, their relative is a natural scientist cousin Benedict, and the nanny Negro Nun. For several days "Pilgrim" moved towards San Francisco, when suddenly little Jack I saw a ship that had crashed. Having sailed closer, the sailors noticed on the ship five blacks and a dog Dingo. The sailors took the victim on board their schooner, and in a few days they fully recovered. However, a strange circumstance was striking: the dog growled at Negoro, as if recognized him, even tried to rush. Therefore, the cook decided not to appear in front of his eyes. By the way, it turned out that the dog can read, or rather put letters. l from the cubes that Dick and the captain gave him, the inscription “S. IN.". Therefore, he must have a master who taught him this.

Sections VII - XVIII

One day Captain Hull and five sailors go out to catch whales. But they do not return, having died during the hunt. The duties of the captain are assumed by the fifteen-year-old cabin boy Dick Send. The guy is trying to teach blacks sailor business. However, he himself also knows a little. This is exactly what Negoro uses. Thanks to some shenanigans with compasses and lots, he directs the ship not to America, but to Angola. The ship is washed ashore. Fortunately, everyone remains intact. And Negoro disappears somewhere. Dick Sand goes in search of some settlement. He meets Negoro's accomplice, the American Harris. To and assures the guy that they are in Bolivia and invites him to his brother, where the sailors will find housing and care. After a while, Dick Sand and the Negro Tom begin to guess that they are in Africa. Africa! Country of slave traders and slaves!

Part two

Sections i-IX

From the conversation between Harris and Negoro, friends learn that these two are engaged in human trafficking. The chains found in Garpica confirm this. Realizing that he has been exposed, the slave trader runs away. He only slightly did not bring the detachment to the place where, in conspiracy with Negoro, they were supposed to attack.

Dick Sand and his friends decide to walk along the bank to some big river. On the way, a storm overtakes them. The travelers hide in a large anthill, but at the end of the storm they fall into the hands of the natives. Blacks, Dick and Nun join the slaves to the caravan. Hercules manages to escape. Mrs. Weldon with her son and cousin Benedict is being taken away to no one knows where. Old Nun, unable to withstand the difficult transition, dies.

Sections X - XVII

At Kazonda, where the caravan arrives, Dick meets Harris. He reports that allegedly Mrs. Weldon and her son died. The guy in desperation grabs the dagger from the hands of the slave trader and kills him. Negoro asks local influential people for permission to execute Dick. Alvets, the master of the slave caravan, prepares a punch. He sets it on fire and brings it to Muani-Lung, the local king. Muany-Lung's body, thoroughly drunk with a lot of alcohol, flares up. His first wife, Queen Muan, arranges a funeral, during which the other wives of the sovereign are thrown into a pit, where Dick is already located, and is sentenced to death.

At this time, the prisoners Mrs. Weldon and her son live outside the fence of the trading post Alvetsya. Negoro hopes to get a large ransom for them. Cousin Benedict, hunting for a rare ground beetle, suddenly finds himself behind a fence. There he meets Hercules, who was always there, hoping to somehow save his friends.

A terrible downpour begins in the village. The Queen calls the sorcerers and asks them to disperse the clouds. Hercules, capturing one of those magicians, changes into his clothes and goes to the village. He says that the white woman and her child are to blame for everything, and then he takes the prisoners with him. When he puts Mrs. Weldon and her son into the boat, the woman sees there rescued Dick Send, Benedict and Dingo's cousin.

Sections XI-XX

On a boat disguised as a small island, friends go to the ocean. A few days later they land on the shore. The dog rushes to land, as if smelling something. Going after her, friends know there is a note signed “S. IN." These are the very letters indicated on Dingo's collar. The traveler Semuel Vernoy recounts how his guide, Negoro, wounded and robbed him.

Suddenly, the friends see Dingo dash off and with a wild growl inject into Negoro's throat that he has come to the crime scene with the loot. A slave trader stabs a dog and it dies. But Negoro himself also dies. Travelers set off further - and on August 25th they get to California.

The Weldon family adopts Dick, he is completing hydrographic courses and preparing to become a captain on one of James Weldon's ships. Hercules becomes a close family friend. Weldon ransoms the other four blacks from slavery.

Readers of this novel will easily remember its summary. "Fifteen Years Captain" is written in simple and vivid language. It captures the special entrepreneurial spirit of the 19th century, a century of discovery and invention. Perhaps only Jules Verne knew how to create.

Flight to San Francisco

The great Frenchman wrote practically about his contemporaries. Judge for yourself: the schooner brig "Pilgrim" departs from the New Zealand port of Auckleand on January 29, 1873, and the book itself was published in 1878. Its route, according to the original plan, runs through the Pacific Ocean through the Chilean seaport of Valparaiso and ends in San Francisco.

The ship belongs to a wealthy man, James Weldon. The voyage is whaling, the ship is led by an experienced captain Gul, under his command of five sailors, cabin boy Dick Sand and kok Negoro.

There are also passengers on board. This is the wife of the owner of the ship - Mrs. Weldon, his five-year-old son Jack, the boy's nanny - an elderly Negro woman Nan and, finally, the eccentric entomologist, the boy's uncle, whom everyone calls only "Cousin Benedict."

Unexpected companions

A brief summary of the hectic, adventurous voyage of the Pilgrim follows. "Fifteen-year-old captain" from the first chapter introduces intrigue into the plot. Five-year-old Jack Welon is the first to notice an overturned ship in the distance and informs others about it. The ship "Waldeck", wrecked, is doomed. On board - negro Americans left in a hurry in their cabin by the escaped crew. They return home after completing contract work on a New Zealand plantation. There are five of them: old man Tom with his son Bat, as well as young people Actaeon, Hercules and Austin. With them - a large dog Dingo, picked up by the captain of the "Waldek" somewhere in Africa. Moreover, the dog, apparently, knows Negoro, because it shows aggression towards him.

Trouble

Soon a disaster strikes on the Pilgrim - five sailors and the captain are killed, having gone on a boat for a whale. Further, a summary of the strength of the spirit of Dick Send, an orphan, a junior sailor, testifies. The fifteen-year-old captain (Dick turned so many years old), without a doubt, takes command of the ship.

However, his knowledge of navigation is clearly insufficient. He knows how to choose a direction with a compass and measure the speed of movement using a lot. He does not know how to determine his location using the stars.

Negoro's dark personality

The Portuguese Negoro (we will learn about this a little later) is an escaped convict. He was sentenced by the authorities of his country for the slave trade, but he fled and wants to go back to Africa in order to continue to engage in the same criminal business. That is why Negoro got a job as a cook on the sailing ship Pilgrim. The death of the captain and experienced sailors significantly increased the convict's chances to find himself in Africa faster. To do this, it was only necessary to deceive Dick Send, sending him instead of the Pacific to the Indian Ocean.

Further, a brief summary tells us about the implementation of a criminal plan. The fifteen-year-old captain is really disoriented. After all, the criminal broke one compass, and the second shows instead of the north direction - the south. This trick - "taming the compass needle" - was performed by convict Negoro, who was familiar with navigation firsthand, placing an ax under the device. Instead of San Francisco, the ship is approaching the shores of Angola.

On the coast of Angola

The Pilgrim was thrown ashore by the waves. Negoro is secretly hiding.

However, Dick Send will face further trials and challenges. He is met here by Negoro's accomplice, the American Garris, who convinces the travelers that they are in Bolivia. The classic gang of villainous slave traders introduces intrigue into the further narrative (evidenced by the summary). "The Fifteen-Year-Old Captain" (Chapter 2) begins with how an imaginary guide deceives (the promise of shelter and rest with his brother) lures travelers a hundred miles deep into the African forest. The joint criminal plot of Negoro and Garris is to sell some of the travelers into slavery, and to receive a generous ransom of $ 100,000 for the relatives of the wealthy Weldon. Not far from the place where Garris sent Dick Send with his companions, a caravan of slaves, led by Negoro's acquaintance, Alvets, stopped.

Travelers guess about the deception

The scoundrels act harmoniously, they succeed in almost everything (as evidenced by the summary). The fifteen-year-old captain, however, begins to suspect Garris of lying. Travelers led by him (allegedly through the Bolivian selva) notice circumstances that do not at all identify their location with South America. Approaching the riverbed, they alarmed several hippos resting in shallow water, as well as giraffes (the latter, due to the fact that they were at a considerable distance, were mistaken for ostriches). One day, Benedict's cousin was nearly stung by a tsetse fly. As an entomologist, he immediately asked the appropriate questions. Moreover, the lenses of the scientist's glasses soon turned out to be completely broken, someone stepped on them. Indeed, even in the absence of experienced trackers among the Americans, they quickly navigated and learned along the journey. This team intelligence of theirs just underlines the summary. “Fifteen-year-old captain” (Jules Verne) gradually brings the imaginary guide - the liar Garris, mistrust of whom is growing, to He is also forced to flee, after travelers discover a terrible find associated precisely with the cannibalism of Africa - severed hands.

Captivity

Dick Sand tracks down Negoro and Garris and hears their conversation, indicating a conspiracy. Realizing that they are in danger, they try to get out of the forest, but slavers keep a watchful eye on them. One morning, after spending the night in a termite mound that protects from tropical rain, the travelers are captured by thugs from a slave caravan on a tip from these two villains. Moreover, Hercules manages to escape from these robbers.

A brief summary tells us about the long, difficult path of the captives. Captain Fifteen (Jules Verne) describes their humiliation and suffering on their way to Angola's infamous slave market, Casonda. An elderly black woman, five-year-old Jack's nanny, Nan, dies on the route of this difficult hike. However, several trapped travelers destined for ransom by the villains (Mrs. Weldon, her son and cousin Benedict) are transported by Negoro in more comfortable conditions.

Kazonda. Punishment for the villain

The slaves who arrived in Kazonda are placed in barracks. Dick Sand worries about the fate of Mrs. Weldon and her son. Those are transported separately and placed in the trading post of the owner of the caravan, Weldon. Having met the deceiver Garris in Kazenda, he tries to ask him about it. However, the villain, deciding to mock the guy, deceives him, saying that they are dead. However, he does not expect that he is already saying this to an adult man who has matured in difficult circumstances, as evidenced by the subsequent episode (more precisely, its very brief content). The fifteen-year-old captain whips out Harris's knife and stabs him to death. Travelers have one less dangerous enemy.

Negoro wants Dick Send to be executed

The murder of his companion in dark affairs is watched from afar by Negoro. He decides to destroy Dick Send. To do this, he only needs to negotiate with his human trafficking partner, who enjoys influence in the slave market, Alvets. The fifteen-year-old captain, they decide, will be publicly executed as soon as the slave sale ends. To implement this plan, Alvets must receive formal permission for this execution from the ruler of the Angolan tribe of natives, Muani-Lungu.

Alvets had experience in settling such cases. He knew the tax that Muani-Lungu would charge for permission to perform public ritual murder. It is enough to present the leader with a punch in an amount equivalent to the amount of blood in the body of the unfortunate victim. The alcohol-dependent native king is a pitiful sight. He was a late-stage alcoholic.

The unsightly death of the leader

Alvets manages, and even at the best price, to sell all black slaves. However, Negoro hopes to earn even more money than the caravan owner (a rich ransom in the amount of a fortune - $ 100,000). Therefore, he keeps Mrs. Weldon, her son Jack, who is seriously ill with malaria, and their cousin Benedict under 24-hour security in a separate house.

Negoro also succeeds, having tricked Mrs. Weldon with the news of the alleged death of Dick Send, to get a ransom letter written by her hand. However, the villains fail to immediately initiate the execution of the former cabin boy.

The further summary of the story looks tragicomic. The fifteen-year-old captain actually receives a reprieve of execution, but now more than one is going to destroy him. Events took on a different turn because of ... the joy of the huckster Alvets from the profit made. To celebrate, the slave trader Alvets decided to offer Muani-Lung a punch in the most presentable, burning form. However, he did not take into account that he was dealing with a complete alcoholic. When the leader touched the bowl with his lips, his body, alcoholized by many years of effusion, flared up, and the leader burned out in a matter of minutes.

The savages now had no time for the execution of some pale-faced boy, because the funeral of the leader was coming! Instead of a separate execution of the former cabin boy "Pilgrim", a mega-execution of all his wives (except for his beloved) and slaves, including Dick, was planned.

The real hero is Hercules. The rescue

The above is a summary of "Fifteen Years Captain" by chapters, as you noticed, completely falls into the genre of a Robinson novel with a happy ending. It seems that not only circumstances, but nature itself helps our travelers.

The negro Hercules, who escaped from the slave traders, lurks next to the trading post of Alvez, waiting for the moment to help his comrades. And then an accident occurs that activates his actions. The eccentric cousin Benedict, himself not understanding how, chasing a butterfly with a butterfly net, suddenly finds himself free. There he meets Hercules, and he has a plan for how to save his friends. Now the mighty black man knows where Mrs. Weldon and her son are. suffers from hunger due to flooding of fertile land with rain. Superstitious people look for the cause of misfortune in evil witchcraft.

Desperate natives summoned a powerful sorcerer from a neighboring village to "resolve the issue". Hercules, having tied up a real worshiper and dressed in his outfit, presents himself as a mute sorcerer. He comes to the dowager queen (former beloved wife), without further ado, takes her hand and leads to the estate of Alvets. He is followed by a crowd of fanatics who believe the sorcerers unquestioningly. He shows the Queen the cause of all misfortunes - a white woman and her son. It becomes clear to everyone: only by taking them outside the village and performing the ritual of killing the infidels, the sorcerer will return the fertility of the earth.

Hercules, using the status of the sorcerer Mannga, thus manages to take out in a boat Mrs. Weldon, her son Jack, cousin Benedict and Dick Send. Alvets, whom Negoro instructed to guard the hostages, was powerless in front of a crowd of fanatics. The travelers are saved.

Fifteen-year-old captain leads friends to freedom

Unfortunately, the negroes, friends of Hercules, have already been sold and taken by buyers.

Travelers, hoping to return to America, float along the river to the ocean, disguising the boat as a floating island, hiding from the eyes of cannibals. The roar of a waterfall is heard ahead, and Dick Sand stops the boat on the left bank. Dingo suddenly darted forward, following the trail. The travelers for the dog came to the dugout, where, restless, lay the remains of Dingo's master, Samuel Vernon, who was treacherously killed by his guide, Negoro. Next to the body were the last recordings of a mortally wounded man containing this accusation. Suddenly the travelers heard the growl of the dog and the scream of Negoro, they intertwined in their last duel. The convict mortally wounded the dog with a knife, and the dog tore his throat.

Negoro, unfortunately, came to the hut to get money from the cache. He needed them for the trip to America for ransom from Mr. Weldon.

Meeting at home

Then the travelers happily reach the coast of the Indian Ocean and on August 25, 1874, they sail to the California coast. Does the Fifteen-Year-Old Captain by J. Verne have a life-affirming content? The grateful Mr. Weldon adopts Dick Send, gives him a proper naval education, and he becomes the captain on the ship of his named father. An orphan gets a family! Hercules enters Mr. Weldon's house as a true family friend.

Four blacks, companions of Hercules, Mr. Weldon manages to ransom from slavery, and those (Tom, Bath, Austin and Actaeon) sail in November 1877 from Africa to the Weldon's hospitable home.

Conclusion

Jules Verne, "The Fifteen-Year-Old Captain" ... The summary does not convey all the charm of this work, it must be obligatory re-read in full. The novel can be interpreted in different ways. Like a robinsonade. As an example for young men - to be courageous and take responsibility for themselves. As an example of maintaining human relations in the most difficult situation. Everyone finds something of their own in this novel ... Of course, he is most loved among children and youth. This fascinating book has been popular and attracts readers for the third century.

Year: 1878 Genre: novel

Main characters: junior sailor Dick, slave trader and cook, Mrs Weldon and Dingo the dog

While hunting for whales, the captain and sailors of the schooner Pilgrim were killed. Captain Dick Sand, 15, took over the ship. On board was the criminal Negoro, who took advantage of the young sailor's inexperience and led everyone to a dead end. Instead of America, the travelers ended up in Africa, where almost everyone ended up in a slave caravan. The brave black-skinned Hercules rescues his friends, but his family had already been sold before that moment. Mr. Weldore redeems those close to Hercules from slavery. Dick is adopted. He is completing sailing courses and is ready to become a professional captain.

The work teachesthat all people are absolutely equal regardless of race, skin color, social status and religion.

Read the executive summary Jules Verne Fifteen-year-old captain

The plot of the work unfolds in 1873. The schooner Pilgrim leaves for America. The ship is attended by the brave captain Gul, sailors, 15-year-old sailor Dick Sand, the wife of the owner of the schooner with a small son and cousin, the cook Negoro and the elderly nanny Nun. After some time, a five-year-old boy discovers an overturned ship, inside of which were five black people. Then it turned out that the ship was shipwrecked, and this family miraculously managed to survive. Among them was an elderly man and his four sons, as well as the dog Dingo, who from the very beginning disliked the cook. Negoro tried not to be near the dog, who recognized him.

A couple of days later, the captain and the sailors decided to continue hunting whales. They die. Now the schooner is led by the junior sailor Dick, who could only navigate by the compass. This plays into the hands of Negoro. He deliberately breaks all compasses and leads all travelers to a dead end. Instead of America, the ship sails to the shores of Africa. Negoro finds himself in his native land and immediately disappears. Dick Send and his travelers are met by the American Garris, who collaborates with Negoro. He claims that the passengers of the ship are in Bolivia and leads them deep into the forest. Soon Dick and old man Tom realize that this is not America, but Africa.

Gerris guesses that the travelers realized something was wrong and hides. He appeared at the designated meeting place with Negoro. From their conversation, it becomes clear that the American is engaged in the slave trade and Negoro collaborated with him before, until he was detained and sentenced to hard labor. A couple of weeks later, he escaped and got on the Pilgrim ship, got a job as a cook. In Africa, he killed one person, the owner of Dingo, so the dog reacted to Negoro that way. He, in turn, took advantage of the inexperience of the fifteen-year-old captain, led the schooner to his native shores. Near the meeting place of Negaro and Gerris there is a caravan of slaves who are taken to the fair.

The slavers hope that Dick will lead his travelers to the river, where they will be trapped. Blacks and Dick are captured, only Hercules was lucky, he managed to escape. Mrs. Weldon, her son and cousin are taken the other way. The criminals have other plans for them. Negaro wants a huge ransom from Weldon for them. Dick and his friends are going through great agony during the passage of the caravan. Old Nun breaks down and dies.

Dick meets Geriss. He hates him for betraying them. Taking this opportunity, the young man grabs a knife and kills his enemy. Negaro witnesses the death of his comrade and wants to deal with Dick. He negotiates with old acquaintances Alvets, who leads the caravan of slaves and Muani-Lunga, to order the execution of Dick Send.

Mrs. Weldon's slightly strange cousin wants to catch a rare insect and does not even notice how he finds himself outside the territory in which he is kept with his sister and nephew. He is met by Hercules. A brave black youth disguises himself as a sorcerer. Queen Muan invites sorcerers to influence the weather, as there have been constant downpours lately, which will adversely affect the harvest. The chief sorcerer reports that the woman and the boy are to blame for this. Takes Mrs. Weldon and Jackson and goes away. After that, the woman discovers that it is their savior, Hercules. He saves Dick, but does not manage to rescue his brothers and father, who have already been sold into slavery.

The fugitives camouflage the boat and sail for several days. After a while, travelers stop at the shore, as there is a waterfall ahead. On this island are the remains of Semuel the Verny, the master of Dingo. This man was robbed and killed by Negaro, who returned to this place again to collect the stolen money. The dog grabbed his throat and was killed with a knife. But Negaro didn't get away with it so easily.

The boat passengers escaped. Dick was adopted by the Weldons, and by the time he comes of age he is taking sailing courses and ready to serve as a captain. The black friends were bought by Mister Weldon.

Picture or picture Fifteen year old captain

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One of the most outstanding novels of the great French writer Jules Verne was first published in 1878. The adventure novel was filmed several times: in 1945 (USSR), 1974 (co-production of Spain and France) and 1986 (USSR, the film was named Captain of the Pilgrim).

Schooner brig "Pilgrim", intended for whaling, sets sail from the port of Auckland. The schooner is led by an experienced captain Gul, in whose subordination are several sailors. The youngest of them is 15 years old. The team consists of cook Negoro. In addition, on board is Mrs. Weldon, the wife of the owner of the ship with her five-year-old son Jack, nanny Nan and Weldon's relative cousin Benedict. The schooner is heading to San Francisco.

A few days later, Mrs. Weldon's son notices an overturned ship in the ocean. As it turned out, this ship is called "Waldeck". It could not continue on its way due to a hole in the nose. Passengers of the "Pilgrim" found five blacks on the "Waldeck". All of them were free citizens of America, but for some time they lived in New Zealand, where they worked on the plantation under a contract. On the way to America, the Waldeck collided with another vessel. Suddenly, all the crew members disappeared. Five friends were doomed to starvation.

The Pilgrim crew takes the Waldek passengers on board. A few days later, the dark-skinned Hercules, Austin, Tom, Actaeon and Bat managed to recover. In addition to five blacks, a dog named Dingo was found on "Waldeck". The only surviving passengers of the deceased ship claim that their captain found the animal off the coast of the African continent. For some unknown reason, Dingo, from the very first minutes of his stay on the Pilgrim, begins to show aggression towards the koku Negoro. On the dog's collar, you can see 2 letters: "C" and "B".

The Adventure Begins ...

Several more days passed. The sailors of the Pilgrim and Captain Gul are transferred to the boat and go to catch a whale that has been spotted near the ship. The management of the Pilgrim is entrusted to the youngest sailor of the crew - Dick Sand. Ghoul and five sailors are killed in a fight with a whale. Dick is forced to take on the duties of the captain until the end of the voyage. Despite the fact that the young captain is brave and brave enough, he lacks some navigational knowledge. Dick doesn't know how to navigate the stars. Sand can only find out the location of the schooner by lot and compass.

The young captain's inexperience was exploited by Negoro. He broke one compass and disabled the lot. Then the cunning cook changed the readings on the second compass. As a result, the Pilgrim arrived on the shores of Angola, where the ship washed ashore. All passengers survived. Negoro, taking advantage of the general turmoil, leaves the travelers. Dick goes in search of some settlement and meets the American Harris. A new acquaintance assures Dick that the travelers are in Bolivia. Harris invites travelers to his brother's hacienda, where the passengers of the Pilgrim can find shelter. In fact, the American lures travelers deep into the rainforest.

On the way to hacienda, Tom and Dick guessed that they were on the African continent. When Garris notices that his deception has been revealed, he immediately disappears into the forest. The reader then watches the meeting between the American and Negoro. From the conversation of old friends, it becomes clear that the ship cook is a secret agent of the slave traders. Its main task is to supply live goods to the one who sells them. Negoro has been engaged in his fishery for several years. The Portuguese authorities, where the cook was from, sentenced the secret agent to hard labor for life. However, Negoro did not stay in hard labor for long. He managed to escape and get a job on the Pilgrim. The secret agent dreamed of returning to Africa. Circumstances were the best for Negoro.

After numerous adventures and escape from slavery, almost all the heroes find themselves back together. Only nanny Nan could not survive. The mystery of the mysterious letters "C" and "B", which turned out to be initials, is also revealed. The owner of the Dingo was Samuel Vernon. Kok Negoro contributed to his death.

Once again meeting with the killer of his master, Dingo throws himself on his neck and tries to gnaw his throat. The secret agent managed to kill the dog, but he himself also could not escape retribution and died. The travelers were able to safely reach California. The Weldons ransom the enslaved Austin, Tom, Actaeon and Bath and take Dick into their family. The young man receives the necessary education and becomes the captain of one of the ships of his adoptive father.

Dick Sand was orphaned early. The main character of the novel was found on the street by a casual passer-by, in whose honor the boy was later named. The surname Dick was given in memory of the place where he was discovered.

Little Dick was developed beyond his years and already at the age of four he learned to count, write and read. At the age of eight, the boy went to work as a cabin boy. On the ship, he managed to prove himself well. The owner of the ship Weldon decided to send Dick to school. Then the young man became a sailor on the Pilgrim.

During the journey described in the novel, Dick Sand was also able to show his best side. A difficult childhood and endurance given by nature tempered the young captain. Dick had to take the place of the deceased Gulya and make his own decisions. The ability not to get lost in unfamiliar surroundings allowed Sand not only to survive, but to receive the most coveted reward - the family he never had.

Author's philosophy

Readers of different ages in the same novel may be interested in completely different things. Teenagers 12-16 years old are interested exclusively in adventure. A fifteen-year-old boy, their age, finds himself alone with severe trials, from which he emerges victorious.

Features of Jules Verne's style
More mature readers will be able to see the worldview of its author in the novel. Jules Verne puts events in the first place in his works. That is why the philosophy of the writer often goes unnoticed and fades into the background.

In fact, adventure is only a background against which the development of interpersonal relationships takes place. Everyday life is not able to reveal the character of people living by inertia. Finding himself in an unusual and dangerous environment, a person will definitely show his true face.

Denying racism and slavery, Jules Verne stands in solidarity with another great writer of the 19th century - Marc Twain. It is no coincidence that Hercules can be seen among the positive characters. The main villain is a native of Portugal. Also, the fact that people of the white race fall into slavery can be considered no coincidence. The author invites white to be in the place of blacks and to feel everything that black slaves have to go through. Verne doesn't see the difference between the two skin colors. The superiority of one color over another is nothing more than a stereotype. While the oppression of blacks seems logical to a white American, the enslavement of whites is equally logical to the indigenous people of the African continent.

Verne's novel Fifteen Years Old Captain was written in 1878. This is a story about the fascinating adventures of a young sailor who took responsibility for the fate of the crew of the Pilgrim whaling ship.

main characters

Dick Sand - a fifteen-year-old sailor, a brave and resolute young man.

Mrs Weldon - the wife of the owner of the ship, a brave, persistent woman.

Jack - little son of Mrs. Weldon.

Benedict - Mrs. Weldon's cousin, passionate entomologist.

Tom, Bath, Hercules, Austin, Actaeon - Negroes rescued from a sunken ship.

Negoro - a slave trader hiding from the authorities, a vile and cruel person.

Other characters

Nan - Jack's elderly nanny.

James Weldon - a wealthy ship owner.

Captain Ghoul - Captain of the whaling ship "Pilgrim".

Harris - Slave trader, accomplice of Negoro.

Antonio Alvez - the master of a slave caravan.

Muani Lunga - the old king Kazonda.

Muan - the first wife of Muani-Lung, Queen Kazonde.

Summary

Part one

Chapter 1. Schooner-brig "Pilgrim"

In February 1973, the Pilgrim "was outfitted in San Francisco to hunt whales in the southern seas." It belonged to "the wealthy Californian shipowner James Weldon", who entrusted the command of his schooner to Captain Guly. Under the command of the captain "there were five experienced sailors and one newcomer." In addition, he was forced to take on board the passengers - Mrs. Weldon, her five-year-old son Jack and cousin Benedict, the old Negress nanny Nan.

Chapter 2. Dick Sand

All the sailors of the Pilgrim "knew each other for a long time" and got along well between themselves, and only the Portuguese Negoro did not really like the captain, who "did not have time to make inquiries about the past of the new cook."

The youngest and most inexperienced sailor on the ship was a fifteen-year-old orphan boy, Dick Sand. But, despite his age, he was distinguished by intelligence and courage, and "already make decisions and bring to the end everything that he deliberately decided on."

Chapter 3. Wrecked ship

After several days of sailing, the "Pilgrim" crew noticed a "tilted ship" with a hole in the bow. Captain Gul decided to investigate it, and on board the sunken ship, the sailors found five blacks and a dog, dying of thirst.

Chapter 4. Rescued from "Waldek"

The unfortunate people were taken aboard the Pilgrim, where they received proper care. It turned out that the negroes - old man Tom, his son Bath, as well as Hercules, Austin and Actaeon - were not slaves, but free citizens of America. Their ship was pierced by some unknown ship and disappeared.

Chapter 5. "C" and "B"

Another creature rescued from a sinking ship was a large dog named Dingo, whose collar was engraved with two letters - "C" and "B". "Dingo soon became the favorite of the entire crew," and only Negoro he fiercely hated for some unknown reason. Kok tried not to show himself in the eyes of the dog, which, apparently, recognized him.

Chapter 6. A whale on the horizon

Some time later, the sailor on duty noticed a whale on the horizon. It was "a very large minke whale." The sailors began to vividly discuss their future prey - "the whole crew was eager to hunt."

Chapter 7. Preparations for the hunt

Despite the great risk, the whalers could not miss the opportunity to catch a giant sea animal and "fill the hold of the ship - the temptation was great." Together with five sailors, he plunged into the boat, leaving Dick Sand "his deputy during the hunt."

Chapter 8. Striped

Experienced whalers began to hunt minke whales. They managed to wound him with a harpoon, but the unexpectedly wounded whale "hitting the water with its fins with force, rushed at the people." The enraged whale smashed the boat with a powerful blow of its tail and “in its death throes violently beat its tail in the water” - none of the whalers managed to survive.

Chapter 9. Captain Sand

"A ship that lost its captain and sailors" could easily become a limp toy of currents and winds. Of the entire crew, only fifteen-year-old Dick Sand survived, and "this boy was now supposed to replace the captain, the boatswain, the entire crew." The young man decided to take on the functions of a captain and teach the rescued blacks the sailor craft. They gladly agreed to help him.

Chapter 10. The next four days

All had one desire - to quickly get "to some other port on the American coast." Dick knew how to use a compass and a lot, but "the young captain did not yet know how to make astronomical observations", which influenced the determination of the ship's location. Suddenly, "there was a misfortune with the compass in the captain's cabin" - it broke off the hook and fell to the floor. One more compass remained working, but it was also spoiled by the insidious Negoro - this is how the Pilgrim went astray.

Chapter 11. Storm

A week later, the sky was covered with clouds, a strong wind rose - everything foreshadowed the beginning of a storm. "The ship kept well on the waves" and was still steadily moving forward. Thanks to the efforts of Negoro, the lot was disabled, and "Dick Sand was deprived of the ability to determine the speed of the vessel."

Chapter 12. Island on the horizon

On the same day "a hurricane struck - the most terrible form of storm", and did not stop for a week. By Dick's reckoning they should have reached America by now. He became more and more confident that the navigation instruments had been deliberately damaged by someone. Suddenly the landforms appeared overboard - it was an island.

Chapter 13. “Earth! Earth!"

Dick was confident that they had seen Easter Island, and steered the ship on what he thought was the correct course. Soon everyone noticed the land, but there was "no human habitation, no port, no river mouth where the ship could find a safe haven." At the sight of the shore, Dingo "howled long and plaintively."

Chapter 14. What to do?

After seventy-four days of sailing, the Pilgrim was thrown ashore and smashed against the reefs. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Dick Sand couldn't figure out where they were. Meanwhile, Negoro quietly left the party, hiding in the forest thicket. It soon became clear that he was the first to be on the wrecked ship and seized all of Mrs. Weldon's money.

Chapter 15. Harris

After some time, the heroes met an American named Harris. He assured the travelers that they were wrecked off the coast of Bolivia. Mr. Harris offered them a break from the worries they had experienced in his brother's hacienda, for which it was necessary to cross the rainforest.

Chapter 16. On the way

Having collected food supplies and necessary things, a small detachment set off. This transition was especially interesting for Benedict's cousin, an entomologist, who began to study with enthusiasm the local insects.

Chapter 17. One Hundred Miles in Ten Days

Dick and his dark-skinned friends were surprised that during the trip they did not meet a single familiar tree or animal, but Mr. Harris managed to dispel their doubts. When cousin Benedict cried out in pain at night, he found out that he had been bitten by a tsetse fly. The entomologist was very pleased with his discovery, since "no scientist has yet found tsetse in America."

Chapter 18. Terrible word

The squad made their way through the forest for twelve days, having covered over a hundred miles during this time. Gradually Dick began to discover the truth, "which with each passing hour became more clear and undeniable" - they were in equatorial Africa, a country of "slave traders and slaves."

Part two

Chapter 1. The Slave Trade

"Pilgrim" was wrecked off the coast of Angola. It was one of the most dangerous regions of Equatorial Africa, where man-eating savages still lived, local tribes were constantly at odds, but the worst thing was that the slave trade was in full swing here.

Chapter 2. Harris and Negoro

Garris, who had left the party by then, met with Negoro. From their conversation it became clear that these were old friends who hunted in the slave trade. They agreed to wait for the slave caravan to "capture Dick Sand and his companions."

Chapter 3. A hundred miles from the coast

Dick Sand realized that Negoro was the culprit of their troubles, and Garris was his accomplice. Only one thing remained unclear - "what are these scoundrels up to?" The young man planned to return to the coast as soon as possible and "and walk to the nearest Portuguese trading post," where they would be safe. To do this, it was necessary to find a river, and go down to the ocean on a raft.

Chapter 4. On the difficult roads of Angola

On the way, the friends were overtaken by a terrible thunderstorm and a heavy downpour. They managed to hide from bad weather in an empty termite mound.

Chapter 5. Lecture on termites, given in the termite mound

Taking the opportunity, Cousin Benedict read to his friends an informative lecture about the builders of this impressive structure - termites.

Chapter 6. Diving bell

At night, water began to arrive at the termite mound - "due to the downpour, the river overflowed its banks and spread over the plain." Dick likened their hideout to a diving bell, in which the air is under great pressure. To escape, the friends cut through the top of the termite mound and got free.

Chapter 7. Camp on the banks of the Kwanzaa

Noticing not far off the camp of the natives, the friends hurried to them. However, it was a slave caravan driving slaves to "the main market for black goods." Once in the camp, "Dick Sand and his companions immediately turned into slaves." Mrs Weldon, Jack and Cousin Benedict were immediately separated, Dick was disarmed and taken on guard, and the Negroes were joined to the caravan.

Chapter 8. From Dick Sand's notebook

The strongman Hercules miraculously managed to escape, and his friends, shackled, envied him - "he was free and could fight for his life." Dick was preoccupied with Mrs. Weldon and little Jack. Old Nan was among the exhausted slaves who were hacked to death with axes.

Chapter 9. Kazonda

In Kazonda, the largest slave market, only "half of the total number of captured slaves" reached. The slaves were distributed among the cramped barracks. The owner of the caravan, Antonio Alvez, was especially pleased with the young and strong blacks from America - he could demand a high price for them. From Garris, Dick learned of the deaths of Mrs. Weldon and Jack. "In a fit of uncontrollable anger," the young man killed the traitor.

Chapter 10. Fair

Alvets wanted to immediately execute Dick, but Negoro asked him to be patient a little. On the day of the fair in Kazonda, Alvez brought all his slaves for sale. Tom, Bat, Actaeon and Austin were very lucky, and "they were sold into the same hands."

Chapter 11. Royal Punch

In the midst of the fair, "His Majesty Muani-Lunga, King Kazonde" appeared, looking more like a decrepit gorilla. He was accompanied by numerous wives and a retinue of flatterers. Alvets, knowing about the dependence of the local king to alcohol, offered him a strong punch. When the old drunkard drank the flaming drink, "his thoroughly alcoholic majesty burst into flames" and died on the spot.

Chapter 12. The King's Funeral

Muani Lung's first wife "Queen Muan was to inherit the royal throne." She hastened to organize her husband's funeral and consolidate her position. A large pit was dug, where, according to the old tradition, the rest of the tsar's wives were dumped. According to Negoro's plan, the tied Dick was to be thrown there, and then flooded with water.

Chapter 13. In the trading post

Garris lied that Mrs. Weldon, Jack and Cousin Benedict were dead — they were in Kazonda, safe and sound. Negoro placed them in the trading post of Alvez in the hope of obtaining a large ransom for them. He told Mrs. Weldon to write a letter to her husband, with whom he was going to go to San Francisco.

Chapter 14. News of Dr. Livingston

Having accidentally overheard the conversation of Alvez with his guest, Mrs. Weldon learned that "perhaps help is nearing, which, as it seems, Providence itself is sending." The renowned traveler Dr. Livingston "will probably be arriving in Kazonda with his escort in the coming days." However, these plans were not destined to come true - on the eve of his visit, the doctor died.

Chapter 15. Where the manticore can lead

Having received a letter from Mrs. Weldon, Negoro set off. Meanwhile, Benedict, who all this time freely hunted for insects, in pursuit of a rare ground beetle found himself outside the walls of the factory fence. Unbeknownst to himself, he traveled a couple of miles in the hope of catching an insect.

Chapter 16. Manganga

A period of prolonged rains began, threatening to flood all the fields. Queen Muan decided to seek help from Mannga, a famous sorcerer from Northern Angola. It turned out to be a disguised Hercules, who made it clear to the queen that the white woman and her child were to blame for all the troubles. He took them with him, and even Alvets could not stop him from doing this.

Chapter 17. Downstream

Hercules brought his "trophies" to the boat, where he rescued Dick Sand, Benedict and Dingo. The only thing missing was Tom, Bath, Austin and Actaeon, who were driven from the village towards the Great Lakes. Disguising the boat as a floating island, the friends began to descend "along the river to the ocean coast."

Chapter 18. Miscellaneous Events

During their rafting, travelers from time to time went ashore to hunt. The area seemed uninhabited, but one day they sailed past the village, and only by a miracle they were not noticed by the savages. The friends were forced to dock as the river plunged down into a "swift, majestic waterfall."

Chapter 19. "S. IN."

Barely finding himself on the shore, Dingo rushed forward, taking someone's trail. The clever dog led the travelers to a pitiful shack containing human bones. Nearby on the tree were visible "two large half-erased red letters" - S. V. Dick found out that the deceased was the traveler Samuel Vernon, who became a victim of the insidious guide Negoro.

Suddenly "a terrible cry came from outside" - it was Dingo who attacked Negoro, who, before sailing, returned to the scene of his crime to take Vernon's money from the cache. Negoro mortally wounded the dog, but he "clenched his jaws with his last strength" and gnawed the throat of his old enemy.

Chapter 20. Conclusion

A real gift of fate for the travelers turned out to be a meeting with a trading caravan belonging to Portuguese merchants. In complete safety, they reached the port, where they boarded a steamer and safely arrived in America. Dick Sand became Weldon's adopted son, and Hercules became a great friend of the family. The young man "graduated with honors from hydrographic courses" and was preparing to become a captain. The general joy was overshadowed only by thoughts of the bitter fate of dark-skinned friends. However, thanks to Mr. Weldon's connections, all four blacks were returned to their homeland.