Long, long ago there lived a poor fisherman named Ilari and his wife in a little cottage on the outskirts of a prosperous harbour town. Although Ilari worked hard, rowing out to sea every night to cast his nets, he could scarcely earn enough to support his family. His catches were meagre, and the townsfolk paid him poorly.

"This cannot go on," he said to his wife one day. "A fisherman can no longer make an honest living. I shall sign on as a sailor aboard one of the great merchant ships. Do not be sad, my love. I shall be away for a long time, but the advance they pay me, and later my wages, will keep you and the children comfortably - far better than we can manage now."

No sooner said than done. A magnificent merchant vessel lay in the harbour, and Ilari asked for work. He was gladly accepted and instructed to report aboard at first light, for the captain intended to sail at dawn.

His family hated to see him leave, but the advance was astonishingly generous - far more than enough to provide for them for quite some time - and so, though with heavy hearts, they let him go. Early the next morning Ilari reported for duty, and the ship set sail.

Ilari was accustomed to hard work, so life aboard the ship suited him well enough. They sailed southward for many days until, at last, the lookout cried, "Land ahead!"

As they drew nearer, they saw a large and beautiful island before them. The ship entered a sheltered bay and dropped anchor so that fresh water could be taken aboard. It was a glorious night beneath the full moon, the first since they had left harbour, and Ilari took the opportunity to go ashore. He climbed a small hill and gazed across the island and the sea.

When his eyes fell upon the ship, he froze in terror and amazement.

The vessel glowed with an eerie green light. Its crew had become ghosts, and together they were holding a wild and extravagant feast. Loud laughter and shouting echoed across the water. A few islanders had gathered nearby and stood silently beside Ilari, staring at the unbelievable sight. Yet before long they hurried away, bolting their doors and fastening their shutters tight.

So that was the reason for the generous advance.

Ilari pondered his choices. Should he return to the ship - at daybreak, not while the night still held its sway - or should he remain on the island until another vessel happened to call there? In the end he remembered that he had accepted the captain's money and given his word. So he resolved to return in the morning and meet whatever fate awaited him.

Having made his decision, he lay down upon a bed of soft moss and fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.

At sunrise he returned to the shore. His little boat was still there, and he rowed back to the ship, which looked perfectly ordinary in the morning light. The first sailors were already at work. They appeared to be ordinary men, and nothing suggested the strange events of the previous night. Had he merely dreamed it?

Without speaking a word of what he had seen, Ilari resumed his duties. He remained courteous, though somewhat reserved around the crew. The strange night was never mentioned, and as the days passed, the memory of the full moon slowly faded. Meanwhile the ship sailed farther and farther. Every day Ilari expected them to reach their destination, yet they never once entered any of the many ports they passed. Strangely enough, neither their food nor their fresh water ever ran out, and nothing unusual happened.

Then another full moon approached.

Ilari watched its coming with growing unease. What if they did not anchor this time? What if he had to remain aboard while the moon was high? He prepared himself a small hiding place deep within the ship, intending to spend the night there.

But events took an entirely different course.

As the moon rose, the ship once again began to glow with its ghostly green light. Ilari was just about to withdraw when the captain called his name and summoned him. The captain invited him to sit beside him and join the crew at their feast.

The higher the moon climbed, the less the captain and his men resembled living people. Their bodies grew pale and transparent until they were unmistakably spirits.

The captain watched Ilari's face and smiled kindly.

"You need not be afraid," he said. "Eat and drink with us. No harm shall come to you. If you remain with us until dawn and do not abandon us, you shall return home safe and sound. Have no fear."

Then he offered Ilari a goblet of wine. Ilari accepted it—hesitantly at first, yet with growing resolve—and raised his cup in a toast to the captain and the crew. His toast was greeted with great delight, and everyone eagerly turned to the feast. Ilari tasted the food and realised that never before in his life had he enjoyed such a splendid meal.

The wine flowed freely, and the crew grew merrier with every passing hour.

Then dawn began to break. Slowly the outlines of the ghostly sailors became solid once more. The green radiance faded, and the captain turned to Ilari.

"You have fulfilled your part, dear Ilari," he said. "We thank you with all our hearts. Go now and sleep. When you awaken, you shall be home again.

"You have broken the curse that bound us, for despite your fear you remained with us and shared our table. You shall find our gratitude when you awake, and our blessing shall remain with you for the rest of your days."

Suddenly an overwhelming weariness overcame Ilari. Obediently he lay down in his hammock and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

When he awoke, he found himself lying in a bed at an inn in his own home town. For a moment he wondered whether everything had been nothing more than a dream. But there stood his sea chest, with all his belongings resting upon it.

He opened the chest. Inside were countless small leather pouches, each one surprisingly heavy. He untied one of them. Gold coins spilled into his hands. Quickly he gathered them together again.

A joyful shock ran through him. So this was the captain's reward...

Ilari paid for his night's lodging with a few of the gold coins and bade the innkeeper a cheerful farewell. Then he lifted his chest and made his way home. His family rejoiced to see him safe and sound again. Their amazement only grew as they listened to his tale and beheld the captain's extraordinary gift. Yet Ilari warned them firmly that they must never speak of it to anyone.

It was wise advice.

They bought a fine house with a large garden in another town, where no one knew them, and there they lived in peace, comfort, and gratitude for the rest of their days.

As for the ghost ship... it was never seen again.