Shota loved sailing! While he wasn't large enough or strong enough to wield the huge tiller or one of the oars, his curiosity made him observant and soon he grasped the interplay between wind, water and ship. His agility, small size and light weight stood him in good stead as he scrambled up the mast to help with the lines and sails. The wind was brisk and the boat rolled in the troughs, steadied on the peaks, and slid gleefully down the face of each gigantic wave as the helmsman drove the tiller and rudder in rhythm to keep the boat on course. Despite the motion, Shota scampered all the way to the lookout on the top of the mast, flung out his arms and shouted with sheer joy! This was as good as flying!
When night fell, Shota saw the entire bowl of the heavens, more stars than he could im
