Storytime from ABoK-The Haberdasher and the Sailor

There was, once upon a time, a sailor who had a sweetheart. The girl was beautiful, and the sailor was handsome-so the girl thought. But her father disliked all sailors, this one in particular, which may have been because he had another husband already picked out for her, a certain haberdasher’s clerk, who had really very little to recommend him save that he managed to keep both feet on solid earth most of the time. That, as everybody knows, is too much to expect of a sailor.
But the girl found the haberdasher’s clerk even less prepossessing than her father found our hero.
When the father saw which way the wind was blowing he pleaded with the girl, then he threatened and even stormed for a bit; but it was to no avail, and the ship of True Love was practically on the rocks.
But after a while the storm quieted down, as storms will. Although the father remained obdurate, which means stubborn, the girl too was stubborn, which means that she was her father’s daughter. But the haberdasher’s clerk, although almost entirely devoid of charm, was endowed with a certain native cleverness, and it was not long before he thought of a plan which he communicated to the
father. Thereupon the father appeared to relent, and soon after he suggested to his daughter that the selection of a husband should be decided in fair competition. Amid general rejoicing it was agreed that the suitor who could tie the greater number of knots, while the father counted fifty, should marry the girl.
Now the father had argued to himself in somewhat this fashion: “Surely this haberdasher’s clerk who does little from morning till night, save knot ribbons and tie up parcels, should have no trouble in besting this tarry-fingered son of a sea cook.” But the girl needed no one to tell her that her Jack would win, by a long sea mile.
On the appointed day and hour the father commenced his count, and with nimble fingers the haberdasher’s clerk tied Overhand Knot after Overhand Knot, with such celerity and precision that a doubt arose in the minds of the spectators whether his piece of string would be long enough to last the full count of fifty.
In the meantime our hero, with apparent unconcern, and so deliberately that it was maddening to watch, proceeded to cast one hitch after another over his left thumb. “Forty-two, forty-three, forty-four,” counted the father; the race was practically over without a single knot having been chalked up to the credit of Neptune. The father was jubilant and had his blessing all ready. The poor girl was in tears, the haberdasher’s clerk appeared even smugger than he had been before, but Jack remained calm as calm should be. “Forty-five, forty-six”-the hitches completely covered his thumb. “Forty-seven!” Our hero carefully tucked the lower end of his string up through the center of the tier of hitches. “Forty-eight! Forty-nine!” He pulled the end through handsomely! “FIFTY!” There on his string blossomed a hundred little flowerlike knots, all neatly spaced and exactly alike!
The race was won; the haberdasher’s clerk was ignominiously defeated. There was nothing left for him to do but slink back to his shop and hide behind the counter; and there, so far as we know, he
lurks to this day with his bit of string in one hand and his yardstick under his arm.
Story Penned by Clifford W. Ashley. (Ashley Book of Knots pp 93-94) Origin unknown.
The knot described in this story is ABoK #564
We hope you enjoyed this deviation from our usual content. Subscribe for tutorials on knots, paracord, and macramé.
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[@mrnobody89]

This was an absolutely delightful story and presentation. ABoK come to life.

[@DickTerpstra]

Well now, that was fun! Nice video production too! ABoK is a great resource...

[@archnouff7599]

What à lucky girl ! Thanks for that story. 😊💖

[@MiscMitz]

Nice!

[@ParacordPlanet]

Thanks!