Chapter 1
Ralph was a British boy. One day, he along with his family was sailing. A violent storm took place and their ship was blown off ashore. When Ralph opened his eyes, he found himself on an island. The island was uninhabited. His family was nowhere to be seen. Now Ralph had no alternative but to delve deep into the island and enjoy its scenic beauty. So, he garnered some courage and proceeded towards the interior of the island. All of a sudden, a voice came from behind him. He was somewhat scared.
He shook his head and increased his speed. Then he tripped over a branch and came down with a crash.
A fat boy stood by him, breathing hard.
“My auntie told me not to run,” he explained, “on account of my asthma.”
“That’s right. Can’t catch my breath. I was the only boy in our school what had asthma,” said the fat boy with a touch of pride, “And I’ve been wearing specs since I was three.”
He took off his glasses and held them out to Ralph, blinking and smiling, and then started to wipe them against his grubby wind-breaker.
He put on his glasses, waded away from Ralph, and crouched down among the tangled foliage.
“I’ll be out again in just a minute.”
Ralph disentangled himself cautiously and stole away through the branches. In a few seconds the fat boy’s grunts were behind him and he was hurrying towards the screen that still lay between him and the lagoon. He climbed over a broken trunk and was out of the jungle.
Ralph was old enough, twelve years and a few months, to have lost the prominent tummy of childhood and not yet old enough for adolescence to have made him awkward.
“Ralph—”
The fat boy lowered himself over the terrace and sat down carefully, using the edge as a seat.
He wiped his glasses and adjusted them on his button nose. The frame had made a deep, pink “V” on the bridge. He looked critically at Ralph’s golden body and then down at his own clothes. He laid a hand on the end of a zipper that extended down his chest.
“My auntie—”
Then he opened the zipper with decision and pulled the whole wind-breaker over his head.
Ralph looked at him sidelong and said nothing.
As the hours passed by, they because good friends. They played on the island and enjoyed themselves all the scenic beauty of the island. Soon they were joined by some other boys of their ages. They were all grown-ups. The fat boy and Ralph who sometimes called the fat boy ‘Piggy’, welcomed the boys with open arms. First of all, Ralph introduced himself and the fat boy to the boys who felt very elated at finding new friends in that uninhabited island.
Their names were Sam, Eric, Henry and Jack Merridew, to name a few. All the friends were happy and had fun and frolic. A storm of laughter arose and even the tiniest child joined in. For the moment the boys were a closed circuit of sympathy with Piggy outside: he went very pink, bowed his head and cleaned his glasses again.
Finally the laughter died away and the naming continued. There was Maurice, next in size among the choir boys to Jack, but broad and grinning all the time. There was a slight, furtive boy whom no one knew, who kept to himself with an inner intensity of avoidance and secrecy. He muttered that his name was Roger and was silent again. Bill, Robert, Harold, Henry; the choir boy who had fainted sat up against a palm trunk, smiled pallidly at Ralph and said that his name was Simon.
Jack spoke.
“We’ve got to decide about being rescued.”
There was a buzz. One of the small boys, Henry, said that he wanted to go home.
“Shut up,” said Ralph absently. He lifted the conch. “Seems to me we ought to have a chief to decide things.”
“A chief! A chief!”
“I ought to be chief,” said Jack with simple arrogance, “because I’m chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp.”
“Well then,” said Jack, “I—”
He hesitated. The dark boy, Roger, stirred at last and spoke up.
“Let’s have a vote.”
“Yes!”
“Vote for chief!”
“Let’s vote—”
Ralph raised a hand for silence.
“All right. Who wants Jack for chief?”
With dreary obedience the choir raised their hands.
“Who wants me?”
Every hand outside the choir except Piggy’s was raised immediately. Then Piggy, too, raised his hand grudgingly into the air.
Ralph counted.
“I’m chief then.”
The circle of boys broke into applause. Even the choir applauded; and the freckles on Jack’s face disappeared under a blush of mortification. He started up, then changed his mind and sat down again while the air rang. Ralph looked at him, eager to offer something.
❒
