Susan repeatedly tells her younger siblings to shut up. No actual drinking takes place, however, and the grog is really lemonade. Rum and grog are mentioned, as well as beer and 'drunken orgies'.

The children also make an enemy walk the plank (but untie his hands so he can swim for it).

In one altercation, the Amazons fire arrows at the Swallows (probably intending to miss) but no one is injured. There is a reference to a pagan temple, and at one point we see a parrot gnawing at a small jade statue of a Buddha.Īs the children are engaged in sailing and exploring and possess active imaginations, there is mention of cannibalism, piracy, bloodshed, and hangings at Execution Dock, but none of this is graphic or excessive. Titty later suggests that the adder might also be used for witchcraft. One character says that his family has kept an adder in a box for generations for luck. The children also swear oaths to each other at a couple of points in the story. When one of the children captures the others' boat, she eats their chocolate, reasoning that that's what all seafarers do in a captured ship (the offended party admits that she earned the chocolate in the taking of their vessel, and they had eaten some of the other children's food as well in any case.). At one point the Walker children tie their boat up to a dock with a sign warning against trespassers, but it is the dead of night and it would be dangerous for them to continue. While they never actually tell a direct lie about this, they are definitely not open about it, and a couple of grown-ups keep the secret for them as well. In one case, a couple of girls slip out of their house at night when they're supposed to be in bed. In general, the children of Swallows and Amazons are about as moral heroes as you could ask for, honorable and responsible, with only a couple of exceptions.

The six children proceed to have grand adventures as they plot the downfall of 'retired pirate Captain Flint', the Blackett's inattentive uncle. While on their grand adventure, they meet the Blackett girls, Nancy and Ruth, who sail the pirate ship the Amazon. When the Walker family spend their summer in the British lake country, they beg to be allowed to sail their small boat, Swallow, and camp out on a small island in the center of the lake. A charming sea adventure with a noble crew.

Amazons and swallows