But not all pirates are bad

_Elsa_

Tiffi enjoys learning all of this but she has tears in her eyes. Kimmy asks her why she’s crying.

“But not all pirates are bad,” says Tiffi. “What about Robin Hood?  He wasn’t a bad pirate, was he?”

Barnacle Bill has a smile on his face as he tells her that not all pirates are bad. Then he shares the story of Robin Hood with her.

‘Robin Hood is a Medieval British hero. He is the stuff of legend. In Medieval Times, life was tough in England. The King and the clergy struggled to maintain order amid famine and mass poverty. Those who had power used it harshly and indiscriminately. Howard Pyle's novelization The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (1883) tells the life story of the legendary archer who 'steals from the rich and gives to the poor.' Figures like Robin Hood stand for the strength and dignity of the poor to rise above the system of impoverishment. This lesson will look at the summary and setting of this novel.’ (Source)

“But are there real pirates that do good things?” asks Tiffi.

Barnacle Bill looks at his fellow pirates and then looks at Tiffi.

“We’re good pirates,” says Toothless Pete. “We don’t steal gold and other things for greed. Let me share with you some information about some of today’s pirates.”

‘While you might assume that the illegal activity pirates engaged in hurt the economies around them, it was actually the opposite. Pirates would spend the gains from their various plunders at the ports each time they docked, meaning those towns would benefit in the same way that cruise port towns today benefit from visitors' cash flow. Piracy also offered opportunities for poor men who otherwise might not have had employment.’ (Source)

“And that’s what we do,” says Mighty Mary. “If we are stealing from the ships because they are the rich powerful men and women who don’t give to the poor. So we steal from them and then when we dock in the next town we give everything to the poor.”

Tiffi is happy to hear this. She thanks them for sharing all this information and asks if they’d like to hang around and have dinner with them. They thank her very much but need to be on their way. They all board their pirate ship and as it pulls away they all wave to Kimmy and Tiffi.

The girls wave back and then get into Kimmy’s boat. Time to head home.

The End!

Start at the beginning – Kimmy meets some pirates