Bits and bobs

Long ago there was a beautiful lively city by the sea in the north of Spain. It was the year 1635 when people still believed the Earth was flat, so you could go to the edge and just jump down free to the infinite.

There lived a rich man who wasn't happy, he was tired of living and he decided he had to commit suicide. But the problem was to consider the best way of doing it.

One gorgeous spring evening, he was walking along the beach at sunset with the sun coming down and disappearing into the sea when he was thinking about the matter over and over again. Then suddenly a great idea struck his head.

Very early next morning he ordered to build a ship and he spent the following months looking for the best musicians. He wanted to take a band of music on board.

And the day came when he set sail. He would sail to the edge of the Earth and he would not stop, he just would go on.

Days passed calmly, quietly and peacefully and the band of music played beautifully. But one day the man revealed the musicians his determination of not stopping when reaching the Earth edge.

They felt sorrowful and unfortunated and started to play the saddest music in the world since all of them were going to die soon.

From that day on the most melancholic music was heard in the whole wide ocean. But, alas! unexpectedly after five weeks at sea they sighted land far away in the horizon.

They got off the ship merrily and firmly determined to have the time of their lives as they were going to die soon. And they really had the greatest time enjoying life to the full.

Next morning in the ship they continued playing sorrowful melodies. But surprisingly after sailing for several days they arrived to a new port and once again they got off the ship and had a pleasant time singing, dancing and drinking in the city.

After that, they visited fifty more ports and they had not still reached the edge of the Earth.

One starry night they sighted the glow of lights in the distance of what it seemed a new city and they headed to it cheerful of being able to stay alive for some more time. As usual they got off the ship and they could not believe what they were seeing. With great amazement they realized they were in the beautiful lively city in the north of Spain they had left some months before.

That was how we discovered the Earth was not flat.