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I Saw a Ship A-Sailing
Holiday Spirit - Subtle Contradictions
One of the first thing we notice about this illustration is a reflection
of the change of text. The duck captain is wearing “a jacket on
his back” rather than the packet that is referenced in other texts.
The “four-and-twenty white mice” seem actively engaged in
the affairs of the ship, reading a book about navigation, hoisting the
sails and mopping the deck. This might support the theory that they represent
the slaves on Sir Francis Drake’s slave ships, although the “chains
about their necks” are very subtly noted. A wreath and sprig of
ivy decorate the bow of the ship.The many birds around the ship may indicate
that the crew is nearing land, perhaps returning to a holiday celebration.
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