Friday Reads: The Sailor Dog by Margaret Wise

A world-weary sailor recently introduced me to Scuppers, The Sailor Dog. I wasn’t expecting him to speak with so much passion and conviction about this scruffy little dog, with his spyglass and weather worn yellow jacket. It was incredible. A few sentences into his life changing tale, I ordered the Little Golden Book. For two long days, I waited and wondered how one small book could inspire one small boy to grow into a brave and intrepid sailor man. The truth was on the very first page. This small dog is the stuff of legends, born during a raging gale at sea. The intrepid pup survived and somehow wound up on a farm, far from where he started.

But he was still a sailor at heart. Even if he couldn’t see it across fields and over mountains, the sea called to him. Eventually Scuppers grew big and strong enough to take his spyglass and a small pack of clothes onto a whimsically patchwork vessel that was just big enough to fit one sailor dog. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Storms seem to chase our intrepid hero. Scuppers dropped anchor and woke up shipwrecked in a far-flung land.

He quickly found a treasure chest, half-buried in the sand. I’ll admit I expected him to find treasure, but it turned out to be tools. Everything he needed to build a house and stay safe and warm while he figured out what’s next. Stranded on an island without another dog in sight, the right tools are worth far more than gold or jewels. Gold can’t keep a dog warm. Diamonds might start a fire paired with a bit of flint, dry branches and foliage. Otherwise they’re just shiny.

It was at this point that I saw this little dog for who he is and how his paws could shape the character of millions. Scuppers is a problem-solver who is willing to do the work and get things done. Not everyone can say that. Scuppers is a farm dog who learned how to build and fix things with whatever he had available. When he solved the immediate problem of shelter and protection from the unknown dangers of the island, he ventured forth to explore and find what’s next. He’s a scrappy little dog.

His clothes were well-worn and almost tattered before even considering buying anything new. Scuppers found a village of dogs who looked drastically different from himself and casually walked among them. They probably even barked in another language and ate different kibble. Different people in a different land barely registered for Scuppers. He was more focused on finding new clothes, exploring new lands, and fixing his boat to set sail for the next great adventure. Our dear Scuppers had his priorities straight, focusing on the real problem at hand.

For a book written in the 1950s, Scuppers is about as modern of a hero as you will ever find. This book is by the same author of Goodnight Moon, Margaret Wise, but Scuppers the Sailor Dog has greater passion and depth than any small rabbit saying goodnight to every object in his room before falling asleep. The Sailor Dog quietly realigned me with my values and priorities in life, paired with a much-needed dash of whimsy. In these changing times, Scuppers reminded me how much I can do with what I have right now. Everyone needs a Scuppers level of passion and grit to solve a world of problems.

Watching Scuppers sail off to his next great adventure, my thoughts floated back to my world-weary sailor. I’m glad he found Scuppers early in his journey. He has his priorities right. Gold and jewels have turned many men into dogs, but this one intrepid Sailor Dog has shaped countless boys into brave and curious men. Girls too. Scuppers doesn’t care who or what you call yourself as long as you’re willing to help out and do the work. Priorities people. Priorities.

With this lesson in mind, I bought my nephew a brass spyglass in a polished wooden box for Christmas. He’ll look across the lawn at his favorite squirrel and take it out on my brother’s boat on the lake, pretending to be the pirate from One Piece. I can only hope that Scuppers will help guide him to a new kind of treasure. I bought myself a spyglass to look up at the stars and imagine the path to a better future. That’s what we all need right now.