A story about a young man who has never seen the sea. One day he heard a conversation between two sailors. He heard thoughts expressed that at sea people change, become different, acquire a new and unusual perspective on everything. And also that the sea is the second cradle for a newly born person. Never before had he heard such words, which now seemed to him very correct, true, falling irrevocably into his bored soul. In his imagination, secretly sprinkled with homemade wine, but now not with wine, but with ship's rum from some adventure book (which he did not finish reading), storms began to rage, mysterious islands began to turn green and bloom. It seemed to him that the azure surf of the water was cooling his feet, which were scorching hot on the hot, fine sand. Overhead there is a merciless sun, strange fruits and flocks of birds of different feathers. Already behind the islands a long coast appeared, in the depths of which the peaks of large fires rose, the voices and drums of the natives sounded.