The Hero of Pharos Island

By Serin O., 5th Grade

One beautiful day on Pharos Island, Caleb was peacefully strolling (voc) along a cliff. That was when he spotted three large ships, looming over the coast. Petrified, (voc), he watched as they sailed closer and closer. He, who was the Greek’s enemy lookout, thought they were Roman ships here to covet the island because the important Lighthouse of Alexandria was there. The lighthouse guided ships to safety and was critical for trade. [2] With a clenched fist, Caleb thought, “I need to protect this island!”

Caleb frantically rushed towards the lighthouse, which was very far away. [2] Inside it, there was a hidden weapon. Because the Roman ships were approaching the shore, Caleb started sprinting. When he finally entered the lighthouse, he was greeted by fifty flights of spiraling stairs. “I ran five miles to get here, just for this?!” Caleb thought. “You know what? I do not want to die by a Roman spear so let's get over it.” He dashed up the staircase and reached the top of the lighthouse.  There it was, gleaming, large and round: the mirror of the lighthouse.

Caleb, who was ecstatic(voc) to try out the weapon, quickly pointed it towards a ship, and sunlight reflected off its glassy surface. The ship’s wood became very hot and started to burn. Because the Romans were not going down without a fight, they shot arrows at the top of the lighthouse. [2] Without warning, an arrow whizzed past Caleb’s ear. He recoiled and quickly aimed at another ship. The last ship was still firing arrows. He dodged one passing by his arm. Finally, he turned the mirror and set the last ship ablaze. When Alexander the Great heard of Caleb’s quick thinking, he promoted him to a Lochagos, the military commander of the island.